Former Yankees All-Star Becoming Trade Bait

Something is brewing in Milwaukee. The Brewers (48-38) are in second place in the National League Central, three games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee currently owns the second National League wild card. So why in the world are they looking to sell off starting pitchers, including a former New York Yankees All-Star?

First, understand that starting pitchers are among the most coveted players every year ahead of the MLB trade deadline. This year is no exception. But it's a less-than-stellar pitching market right now, with 25 of 30 teams within striking distance of a postseason spot just four weeks before the July 31 deadline.

However the New York Post's Joel Sherman reports " the Brewers — despite being just a half game behind the Mets for the NL’s top wild-card spot — have engaged teams in preliminary discussions about starting pitching.

"That is not because the Brewers do not believe they are a playoff contender," Sherman added. "It is because — as when they dealt (Aaron) Civale — they might be on the brink of a rotation surplus." Milwaukee, you may remember, traded Civale last month after he balked at a move to the bullpen so the club could recall top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski.

Sherman noted the Brewers have no less than five starters getting close to being ready for the big leagues. That includes former New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes, who made just two starts before landing on the injured list. Yes, Cortes would come with a red flag given his health concerns. But Sherman concluded the Brewers would be "open to trading" the 30-year-old, who will be a free agent after the season.

The Yankees traded Cortes to the Brewers in December as part of the deal which brought All-Star reliever Devin William to the Bronx. Cortes is three years removed from his lone All-Star season, when he went 12-4 with a career-best 2.44 ERA for the Yankees in 2022.

Cortes opened his Brewers career in March by facing his former club in his first start of the season. The Yankees roughed up their former teammate for eight earned runs (including five home runs) in just two innings of work. Cortes made one more start for Milwaukee before landing on the injured list with a left elbow flexor strain. That's the same injury which sidelined him last September with the Yankees. In April, Cortes said his current injury felt “sort of similar to what I had" in New York.

Cortes made his first rehab start Wednesday for the Triple-A Nashville Sound. He pitched three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit (a two-out bunt single) while striking out four. He threw 37 pitches, 25 of which were strikes.

Ari Koslow, a Brewers reporter for the website FantasyPros, reported Thursday Cortes will "likely make at least a few more rehab starts before he is potentially activated." How the lefty does in those appearances will determine Cortes' trade value.

By the way, Sherman isn't the only baseball mind pitching a Cortes trade. FanSided's Mark Powell suggested the same thing last week.

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