Yankees Trade Nestor Cortes Jr. to Mariners for International Slot Money
By Thomas Carannante
Jerry Dipoto isn't dead, folks. He's alive and well and doing what he does best: make trades.
The Seattle Mariners general manager has gone out and acquired left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. from the New York Yankees in exchange for international slot money.
For Mariners fans who would like a scouting report: Nestor Cortes doesn’t throw particularly hard, but throws from a zillion arm angles. Was mostly a bulk guy for the Yankees this season and can eat some innings. He should do well in a consistent role.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) November 25, 2019
The Yankees designated Cortes for assignment last week when they trimmed their roster down to 40. Given New York's stacked bullpen, there was little need for a soft-throwing lefty.
Despite his 5-1 record last season, Cortes finished with a 5.67 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 33 games. He did strike out 69 batters in 66.2 innings, however, and proved to be a reliable bridge arm in the event a game got out of hand. He ate innings, appearing in two or more frames in a majority of his outings.
And with the Yankees looking to create room on the payroll and pitching staff, JA Happ could be the next to go.
#Yankees news: The Bombers could be looking to trade J.A. Happ to create room for Gerrit Cole; Moves on the way ahead of the Rule 5 Draft; Nestor Cortes Jr. breaks down his slider. https://t.co/g4a8DNdOd8
— Pinstripe Alley (@pinstripealley) November 20, 2019
Look for both of these teams to continue making moves in what's expected to be a busy offseason.