Former Brewers' failed trade acquisition lands with Phillies for stretch run

Major League Baseball's trade deadline has come and gone, but contending teams are still finding ways to improve their rosters for the stretch run. Players not on 40-man rosters can still be traded, as was the case with infielder Jonathan Ornelas, whom the Milwaukee Brewers acquired from the Athletics over the weekend. Additionally, there remains a handful of injured free agents, whom teams were waiting to sign until they have proved they are healthy enough to play during the final weeks of the season.

One of those remaining free agents is former Brewers' starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. After a largely unsuccessful season in 2025, Cortes underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left bicep during the offseason. Recovery from that surgery kept Cortes out for the first five months of the 2026 campaign, but lately, the veteran southpaw has resumed throwing and caught the attention of several teams around the league.

Now, as reported by FanSided's own Robert Murray just moments ago, Cortes has officially signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, joining the contender's organization for the final weeks of the 2026 campaign.

Phillies sign former Brewers' starting pitcher Nestor Cortes to minor league deal

It's something of a low-risk, high-reward move for the Phillies, who enter play on August 19 five games back of the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card spot in the National League. On a minor league contract, Cortes isn't guaranteed a spot on Philadelphia's 40-man roster, but should he prove, while pitching in the minor leagues, that he still has value, the Phillies can add him to their squad as a coveted multi-inning, veteran left-hander for the stretch run.

Cortes, when healthy, has demonstrated that he can be among the most effective left-handed starting pitchers in the league. During a two-year stretch with the New York Yankees from 2021-22, Cortes posted a 2.61 ERA in 251.1 innings with 266 strikeouts. However, Brewers fans didn't see anything even close to that production.

The Brewers acquired Cortes from the Yankees alongside Caleb Durbin in an offseason blockbuster that sent Devin Williams to New York in December of 2024. Cortes made two starts for the Brewers during the first two weeks of the 2025 campaign before landing on the IL with a flexor strain. That injury kept him away from a big-league mound until the Brewers dealt him and infield prospect Jorge Quintana to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline for outfielder Brandon Lockridge. The veteran southpaw went on to post a 5.47 ERA in six starts with the Padres before once again landing on the IL.

If Cortes can regain the form that he showcased with the Yankees before being traded to the Brewers, it could be an impactful late-season addition for the Phillies. However, given the journey Cortes has gone through since being traded to the Brewers before the 2025 campaign, expecting him to be a major part of the Phillies' postseason push in 2026 feels like a bold prediction.

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