I have to say the distractions of the Olympics have kept me from the trade deadline frenzy. This along with the Yankees dominating the teams they need to in order to remain on the road to the championship have all been happening parallel to the torch blazing in Paris. One detail I have been monitoring is the one that involves a possible movement of Nestor Cortes. Could this be Nestor's last stand?
According to The New York Post, "It’s no longer a secret that the Yankees at least considered trading the left-hander to St. Louis in exchange for infielder Tommy Edman, who ended up going to the Dodgers as part of a three-team deal with the White Sox and sent Erick Fedde to the Cardinals." Cortes followed his regular routine including throwing a bullpen session ahead of Monday night's game in Philadelphia that saw the Yankees dominate the Phillies in a 14-4 win.
“Of course I want to stay,” Cortes said of his desire to remain a Yankee. “It’s a winning team, it’s the team I was drafted by. They’ve given me many opportunities and I’ve done a lot of good, some bad, but I’m still fighting, still trying to claw my way up to being a proven starter and winning for this team,” reported The Post.
Cortes is slated to pitch against the Phillies in the afternoon series closer today. And after Gerrit Cole was scratched from Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia, the team got a closer look at rookie Will Warren who could be a worthy replacement down the road for Cortes.
"Warren was a candidate to make the Yankees out of spring training as the team’s fifth starter, but Luis Gil won the competition over him", reported The Athletic. “He’s a confident kid,” Boone said. “We love his makeup. We love his stuff. He’s had some bumps in the road this year but has also dominated a lot of outings, too. He has all the equipment to go out there and be successful. He’s not a guy who’s overwhelmed. He’s got a really good presence to him.”
If in fact this is Cortes' last stand, it would make sense that the Yankees bring in another starter. And he does not have to come from a trade. With new bullpen addition Mark Leiter, Jr. joining the Yankees Tuesday from the Cubs, Warren could find his way into the rotation with a Cortes trade.
"If Cortes were traded, it would make sense for the Yankees to add another starter. Clarke Schmidt, who is recovering from a lat injury, isn’t expected back in the rotation soon; he recently started throwing off a mound. Luis Gil has workload concerns and might be moved to the bullpen to preserve his arm for October. Marcus Stroman, despite his 3.64 ERA, has career-worst strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates. His advanced metrics suggest he is a major candidate for regression," reported The Athletic.
So although I remain more engaged in gritty Olympic athletes like Simone Biles, Rafael Nadal and Leon Marchand, I have kept my eye on the Yankees and their recent climb back into my graces after an abysmal few weeks preceding the games in Paris. And if it's goodbye to Nasty Nestor, then it is only fair to say that they are executing a plan to stay on the upward path toward championship baseball.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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