Could Nationals Target Former Yankees Star As Rotation Option?
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Starting pitching is going to be discussed as a need for the Washington Nationals this offseason until they address it.
Even simply adding two established arms who still have gas left in the tank would do wonders for this team, as the pitching staff was one of the biggest reasons why they had such a disappointing year in 2025.
Thankfully, this free agency cycle is filled with high-profile names. While the Nationals likely won't be shopping in that aisle, it does create a scenario where the spending teams bid against each other for those arms while Washington lands their choice when it comes to the lower rungs of free agents.
Someone who would be in that mold is Nestor Cortes, the former New York Yankees star who was shipped to the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason in the Devin Williams trade before the Brewers moved him in a deadline deal to the San Diego Padres.
Why Nestor Cortes Would Be a Fit for Nationals
First, this would be a huge buy-low spot for Washington. With him coming off an injury-riddled year where he posted a 6.29 ERA across just eight total starts, the shine has come off Cortes a little bit compared to how he was viewed in the past.
Given a market value by Spotrac of three years and roughly $36 million, though, adding someone like him for that price would be a boost to the rotation if they can get him back to his past form.
The left-hander burst onto the scene in 2021 when he finished with a 2.90 ERA and ERA+ that was 48 points above the league average. Cortes was still being used as a starter and a reliever at that point, but he ultimately made 22 appearances with 14 of them being starts. He followed that up with an All-Star selection in 2022 and an ERA of 2.44 across 28 starts. His ERA+ was also a career-high at 168, and he was still striking out over a batter per inning.
2024 PitchingNinja Award for Most Ridiculous Windup. 🏆
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 19, 2024
Winner: Nestor Cortes (pump fake) pic.twitter.com/qjgsw5fSjP
But since then, it's been a mix of inconsistency and injuries that has held the lefty back. However, just two seasons ago in 2024, Cortes had a 3.77 ERA across 31 appearances (30 starts) and 174 1/3 innings pitched. So he's not far removed from being effective in the bigs.
For a Washington team that doesn't have a lot of answers in their rotation right now, going after an established major league starter like Cortes would at least give them a higher ceiling than they've had in recent years.
And if they can sign him on a short-term or even a prove-it type of deal for an AAV of $12 million, then bringing in the left-hander this offseason should be a no-brainer.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai