Phillies signing lefty Nestor Cortes to MLB deal for depth: Source

The Phillies plan to sign left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes to a major-league deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.

Cortes, 31, is coming off surgery to repair a biceps tear in his throwing arm and has not pitched in the majors this year. He last pitched for the San Diego Padres in 2025, making six regular-season starts (16 ER in 26 1/3 IP) before going on the injured list with left biceps tendinitis.

The Phillies’ starting pitching depth is among the team’s greatest weaknesses right now. The club did not sign a starter at the trade deadline, deciding to give Andrew Painter runway as the fifth starter. Painter, for the most part, has looked much better than he did in his first stint with the big-league club. But the depth behind him is thin, featuring Alan Rangel as the sixth man and then likely Brian Keller as the seventh man. Signing Cortes, a deal first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray, should alleviate these woes.

Cortes struggled last season amid injuries, dealing with both a flexor strain and the biceps tendinitis that ultimately ended his season. But he has been a consistent starter in the past, particularly in his last four seasons with the New York Yankees (2021-24). The Phillies do not necessarily need excellence, but another competent starter would go a long way as the team pushes toward October.