The MLB trade deadline is one day away, and the Yankees has done Nestor Cortes available, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
According to the Post, it’s unclear what kind of return the Yankees would seek for Cortes.
About that, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Yankees and Detroit Tigers are in “extensive” trade negotiations surrounding Jack Flaherty.
At first glance, trading Cortes would seem strange. But it would make a lot more sense if it were done in conjunction with a deal for another starter like Flaherty.
In this scenario, Luis Gil could be moved to the bullpen at some point, with Clark Schmidt expected back sometime before the end of the season.
There are two reasons why trading Cortes might make sense.
The first is that It’s a strong sellers’ marketlargely due to the fact that only a few teams are truly out of playoff contention.
That means the Yanks could get a leg up on Cortes, who still has another year of team control beyond 2024.
There’s also the scenario recounted above, where the Yankees trade Cortes to boost the offense, then turn around and trade for another starting pitcher, like Flaherty, to take his place.
Either way, if New York trades Cortes, it will be reminiscent of the Jordan Montgomery for Harrison Bader trade the Yankees made at the 2022 deadline.
