The Philadelphia Phillies have added another intriguing arm to their pitching mix, signing veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes to a one-year contract. The move gives the Phillies another experienced pitcher at a critical point of the season, but the bigger question now is how manager Don Mattingly will use him once he completes his rehabilitation and is ready to join the major-league club.
Cortes is not expected to immediately report to Philadelphia. His first stop will be Class A Clearwater, where he will continue building himself back into game shape following a lengthy recovery from left biceps surgery.
The 31-year-old has not appeared in an MLB game since Sept. 3, 2025, meaning the Phillies will have to carefully manage his workload before deciding how he fits into their pitching staff.
Cortes underwent surgery in October to repair a torn left biceps, and his return comes after nearly a full year away from major-league action. Despite the long layoff, the veteran lefty has reportedly made significant progress in his throwing program.
Mattingly said Cortes has already completed several extended bullpen sessions and even participated in a live bullpen session shortly before signing with Philadelphia. Cortes himself reportedly believes he is ready to begin the next stage of his comeback.
The Phillies, however, are unlikely to rush him into a traditional starting role.
A Flexible Role Could Be the Best Option
Although Cortes has spent much of his career as a starter, Philadelphia appears more interested in gradually building him toward a role that allows the team to take advantage of his experience without immediately asking him to handle a full starter’s workload.
Cortes has made 94 starts during his MLB career, but Mattingly indicated that building him all the way to a conventional 75-to-90-pitch starter would require a much longer progression.
Instead, the Phillies could initially use him as a bulk-inning pitcher, allowing him to work multiple innings behind an opener or another starter. That approach would give Cortes the opportunity to rebuild his endurance while simultaneously helping a Philadelphia bullpen that has been heavily taxed.
A relief role could eventually become another possibility. The Phillies have particularly needed another dependable left-handed option in the bullpen, and Cortes’ experience could give Mattingly an additional weapon against opposing lineups.
His versatility is arguably the most attractive part of the signing.
Philadelphia does not necessarily need Cortes to immediately become the pitcher he was during his best seasons. The organization simply needs him to provide useful innings and stabilize a pitching staff preparing for a postseason push.
Phillies’ Rotation May Not Need Another Full-Time Starter
The situation becomes even more interesting because Philadelphia’s rotation has recently shown signs of settling down.
Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter have both pitched effectively, reducing some of the pressure to immediately add another traditional starter. Earlier in the season, Mattingly discussed the possibility of using a six-man rotation, but that approach may not make as much sense now with the Phillies competing in an increasingly important stretch of the season.
A six-man rotation would also reduce the number of innings available to other established starters while potentially forcing Cortes to follow a longer recovery schedule.
Instead, the Phillies can afford to take a more flexible approach.
If Cortes can build toward four or five innings, he could become a valuable bridge between the starting rotation and the back end of the bullpen. If his workload progresses quickly enough, Philadelphia could eventually reconsider using him as a conventional starter.
For now, though, a bulk role appears to be the more realistic target.
Cortes’ Recent History Creates Some Uncertainty
There is understandable caution surrounding Cortes because his most recent MLB season was difficult.
He went 2-4 with a 6.29 ERA across eight starts for Milwaukee and San Diego in 2025. His season was interrupted by a left flexor tendon strain that kept him on the injured list from April 4 until Aug. 6, and left biceps tendinitis ultimately ended his season in September.
That injury history makes workload management particularly important.
At his best, however, Cortes has shown that he can be an effective and unconventional left-handed pitcher. During seven seasons with the Yankees, he established himself as a dependable member of their rotation and earned an All-Star selection in 2022.
He enters Philadelphia with a career record of 35-25 and a 3.94 ERA, numbers that show the upside the Phillies could potentially unlock if he returns healthy.
Philadelphia Is Betting on the Veteran Lefty
The Phillies’ one-year agreement reportedly guarantees Cortes $1.5 million if he reaches the major leagues, with another $250,000 available if he remains in the minors. That makes the move a relatively low-risk opportunity for Philadelphia to add an experienced arm.
The team’s biggest need has been another reliable bullpen option, particularly from the left side. With Jhoan Duran providing one of the few consistently dominant options late in games, adding another experienced pitcher could give Mattingly greater flexibility in managing difficult matchups.
Cortes could eventually fill several different roles depending on how his rehabilitation progresses.
He could become a starter. He could work as a bulk-inning arm. He could potentially pitch in relief or be deployed selectively against certain portions of opposing lineups.
For now, Philadelphia does not have to decide.
The immediate objective is to get Cortes healthy, increase his workload gradually and determine how his arm responds to competitive action.
If he can regain even part of the form that made him an All-Star, the Phillies could have added a potentially valuable postseason weapon at a relatively modest cost.
Of course, Cortes’ career also includes one particularly painful memory for anyone in Philadelphia who remembers the 2024 World Series. While pitching for the Yankees, Cortes came out of the bullpen in Game 1 against the Dodgers and surrendered a historic walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman.
Now, Cortes has a chance to write a very different chapter in Philadelphia.
The Phillies are not asking him to immediately carry their pitching staff. They simply need him to get healthy, build up his arm and provide quality innings wherever they need him most.
And if his comeback goes according to plan, that flexibility could make Nestor Cortes one of the more intriguing additions to Philadelphia’s pitching staff heading into the stretch run.
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