Breaking Down What Nestor Cortes' Role With Phillies Might Be

As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to try to build some momentum in August, the team has recently made a signing to help improve the depth of both the bullpen and starting rotation.

With the Phillies currently on a five-game winning streak heading into their series finale with the Miami Marlins, the team has to feel good about how they are performing of late.

Getting back to being 10 games over the .500 is an important number for Philadelphia to be at right now with the National League shaping up to be a real challenge.

This is a team that has no shortage of star power, but adding some depth to a couple of key areas was important. Mostly, the Phillies were able to accomplish that at the trade deadline, but they did leave one spot surprisingly unaddressed.

In the back end of the starting rotation, there have been some notable struggles in that area, and many believe the Phillies would add a veteran starter. They elected to hold off, and fortunately both Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter have pitched a bit better of late.

Despite some improvements from those two, Philadelphia has recently agreed to a major league deal with left-hander Nestor Cortes, who has yet to pitch this year due to injury. Now, the question will be where he fits into the Phillies’ plans.

What Will Cortes’ Role Be?

Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This signing came as a little bit of a surprise, with Cortes obviously impressing the Phillies brass during a workout. When healthy, the southpaw has been a good pitcher with a career ERA of 3.94.

Now, with Cortes coming to Philadelphia, it will be interesting to see what his role is going to be with the team, and perhaps he will be wearing a couple of different hats.

Currently, with the five-man rotation set, it appears that Cortes will be going to work out of the bullpen. Having a left-hander who can pitch multiple innings could be a great weapon for Don Mattingly, even if Cortes’ bullpen memories from the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers might not be too good.

Furthermore, if Painter especially struggles once again, Cortes could be an option for them as the fifth starter. Hopefully Painter continues to pitch well as he has been since coming back from the minors.

Also, with it being a long season and the dog days of summer here, using a six-man rotation for a little while could also be an option. Overall, the health of Cortes will be key, but he has proven to be a solid pitcher in the majors and can help this team.

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