The New York Yankees made a bold move this past offseason, sending fan-favorite lefty Nestor Cortes and promising infield prospect Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return, they landed one of the best bullpen arms in baseball — right-hander Devin Williams.
It was a classic “win-now” trade. Cortes had been a steady presence in the Yankees’ rotation, but durability concerns and a need for bullpen firepower led general manager Brian Cashman to pull the trigger.
And just like that, Cortes became the newest Brewer.
Cortes Gave Everything in 2024 — But the Yankees Looked Ahead
Cortes wasn’t just a quirky mustache and funky wind-up last season. He was a workhorse.
The left-hander tossed a career-high 174.1 innings in 2024, posting a 3.77 ERA with 8.36 strikeouts per nine and a 76.4% left-on-base rate. He battled through stretches when Gerrit Cole was sidelined and gave the Yankees a much-needed lift in the middle of the rotation.
Still, there were whispers late in the season about some lingering soreness. Rather than wait to see if those issues worsened, the Yankees sold high and got a premium piece for the back end of their bullpen.
In a sport where pitching depth can vanish overnight, the Yankees gambled on swapping long-term innings for elite late-game dominance.
Caleb Durbin Could Have Cracked the Yankees’ Infield
While much of the attention focused on Williams and Cortes, the under-the-radar piece of the trade might end up stinging a little too.
Caleb Durbin had an eye-opening spring with Milwaukee, flashing the same bat-to-ball skills and on-base ability he showed in the Yankees’ farm system. With the Yankees still hunting for infield solutions, there’s a world where Durbin could’ve been in pinstripes on Opening Day — maybe even starting at third base instead of Oswaldo Cabrera.
But baseball is rarely about what-ifs. It’s about what’s next. And for Cortes, that comes in the form of a reunion with his old team on Saturday afternoon.
The Rematch Is Set: Cortes vs. a New-Look Yankees Lineup
Cortes has looked sharp this spring, posting a 3.27 ERA over 11 innings while striking out hitters at an impressive clip. But the Yankees lineup he’ll face this weekend is far different from the one he worked alongside in 2024.
Gone are the days of Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres. In their place? Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Jasson Dominguez.
The Yankees are stacked with left-handed bats — Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm — giving Cortes a matchup that might actually lean in his favor with that sweeping slider he commands so well.
There’s a good chance manager Aaron Boone flips the script and bats Paul Goldschmidt leadoff against the lefty. Wells started in the top spot on Opening Day, but the Yankees may want to stack right-handed bats early in the order and drop their lefties further down.
Business Over Emotion in the Bronx
The Yankees loved Nestor Cortes, but they loved the idea of locking down the ninth inning even more.
Devin Williams gives New York one of the nastiest closers in baseball, and with their rotation already wounded by injuries to Cole and Luis Gil, the bullpen is going to carry even more weight this season.
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It’s the kind of move you only make if you’re confident in your replacements — and the Yankees believe they have enough starting depth with Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt (once healthy), and young arms like Will Warren.
But make no mistake: Saturday’s game isn’t just another early-season contest. It’s a reunion, a revenge opportunity, and a peek at how both teams feel about the deal just a few months later.
And knowing Nestor, he’ll probably have a few extra miles per hour on that first-inning fastball.