The Atlanta Braves are being urged to target free-agent left-hander Nestor Cortes as a low-cost option to bolster their starting rotation heading into the 2027 season.
The idea stems from a search for bargain-bin starters who could mirror the production Martín Pérez provided Atlanta in 2026.
Mitchell Barbee of HouseThatHankBuilt.com wrote about the possibility of signing the former Yankees All-Star.
“It’s been a while since Nestor Cortes threw a major league inning. After struggling in eight MLB appearances in 2025 and spending more of the season on the injured list, Cortes missed the entire 2026 season, and only appeared in three minor league games in the Phillies organization. Cortes fits the Pérez mold quite well, as a soft-tossing lefty with prior success in his career, but a recent downturn in his career. The soon-to-be 32-year-old could make a great buy-low reclamation project for Jeremy Hefner and the Braves.”
Atlanta’s rotation carries significant uncertainty beyond ace Chris Sale, who remains under contract through at least 2027.
Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach both dealt with major elbow issues that limited or wiped out their 2026 campaigns, leaving the club cautious about projecting them for full starter workloads next year.
Cortes, who turns 32 in December, has seen his production decline sharply after a strong run in New York.
In 2025 he posted a 6.29 ERA across 34 1/3 innings in eight starts while splitting time between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, recording 29 strikeouts and 20 walks.
He did not appear in a major-league game in 2026 after undergoing surgery to repair a tendon tear in his throwing arm, then signed a midseason deal with the Phillies that yielded only three minor-league outings.
During five seasons with the Yankees he compiled a 3.61 ERA over 555 2/3 innings in 126 appearances, striking out 560 batters.
His peak arrived in 2022, when he made the All-Star team and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts, throwing 158 1/3 innings with 163 strikeouts.
In his final year with New York in 2024 he went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA while logging 174 1/3 innings and 162 strikeouts.
For his career, Cortes is 35-25 with a 3.94 ERA in 602 1/3 innings and 604 strikeouts.
Pérez, signed to a minor-league deal before 2026, delivered a 3.04 ERA over 142 innings and gave Atlanta valuable depth before a late-season injury.
The Braves have a track record of finding productive arms at modest prices rather than chasing the top free-agent starters each winter.
Cortes’ soft-tossing approach and prior success could appeal to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner if the price remains low enough to limit risk.
Whether Atlanta pursues him or seeks more established options will depend on how the free-agent market develops over the coming weeks.
