Yankees Lefty Pitcher ‘Upset’ With Move To New York’s Bullpen

The New York Yankees have reshuffled their roster to begin the final month of their 2024 regular season amid a head-to-head race with the Baltimore Orioles for the American League East crown — and it didn’t rub everyone in the organization’s clubhouse the right way, either.

Left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen and wasn’t thrilled about the change when informed by Yankees manager Aaron Boone. New York began utilizing Cortes for relief innings Saturday against the Chicago Cubs and although he delivered with 4 1/3 no-hit innings in New York’s 2-0 win, the 29-year-old still wasn’t happy when asked about the late-season transition.

“Obviously, I was upset. I feel like amongst all the starters, I’ve been the workhorse here,” Cortes told reporters, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “Once (Gerrit) Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter; not necessarily the No. 1, but the Opening Day starter. I had to switch my routine there, and now they do this.”

Cortes, an All-Star pitcher in 2022, had logged 28 starts this season for New York, going 8-10 with a 4.08 ERA. Opponents have hit .254 with 23 home runs and 42 doubles when Cortes takes the mound to start — through 159 innings pitched — and New York feels as though the southpaw would be better suited as a reliever. That proved to be the case as the Yankees benefited immensely from the move on Saturday, even though Cortes wasn’t a fan in the wake of the news.

“I’m never going to back down from a challenge, I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry,” Cortes said, per Hoch. “You’re always going to get my best effort, no matter if I’m happy or not. That’s what I did today. I just came out there and proved that I can be put in any situation, and from here on out, if that’s what’s my role, then I’ll accept it.”

The Yankees hold a slight 1/2-game lead over the Orioles for the top spot in the division with 20 games left.