Nestor Cortes Jr (Image Credits: Getty Images)

What Happened To Nestor Cortes Jr.? Latest Update On The Former Yankees Star

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Cresswell McCoy | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 9:14 AM ET

Nestor Cortes Jr. was once a top pitcher in the MLB. Cortes’ stint with the New York Yankees was great in 2021 and 2022. The southpaw held an ERA below 3.00 in both years, but his decline started in 2023. While he did bounce back a little in 2024, his grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the World Series pushed him back further.

The Yankees were forced to trade Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers. To make things worse, Cortes had another miserable season with the Brew Crew, forcing them to trade him to the San Diego Padres. Sadly, he posted a 5.47 ERA with the Padres, and he’s not a free agent.

Why Are Teams Not Pursuing Nestor Cortes?

Nestor Cortes (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Cortes has not retired, but he has to rebuild his reputation and start from scratch. Teams are not ready to sign Nestor Cortes right now since he’s most likely to miss a huge part of the 2026 season.

Nestor Cortes entered 2022 as a 26 year old who had been DFA’d at least 3 times & had 0.4 career WAR.

He then proceeded to put up 3.7 fWAR for the #Yankees over 156 IP, boasting a 20% K-BB%!!

He later had another 3 WAR season 2024! But fans only remember that last pitch pic.twitter.com/ZxqRM2sU3r
— Jack Fungo (@FungoMedia) January 30, 2026

Cortes was placed on the Injured List back on September 5. He suffered a biceps injury and was expected to be sidelined for 9 to 10 months. Getting back on the mound will take him a while, but fans won’t see him pitch anytime soon.

Cortes Could Return In 2027

Nestor Cortes (Image Credits: Getty Images)

It’s a hard run for Cortes, especially since he does not belong to any team. The pitcher will need to wait for his full recovery and hope that teams will consider him. It’s hard for a team to sign Cortes at the end of the 2026 season.

Cortes must market himself and wait for teams to give him an opportunity. It’s time to wait, recover, and hope for the best. For now, many seem to have forgotten about Nestor Cortes Jr.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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