The New York Yankees have signed lefty reliever Nestor Cortes Jr. to a Minor League deal, according to reports and via a recent post on his Instagram profile.
The 26-year-old southpaw was originally a Yankees draft pick back in 2013 and came up through the team's Minor League system before landing with the Baltimore Orioles in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft but was later returned to the Bombers.
Known for his occasional variance in delivery mechanics on the mound, Cortes Jr. went 5-1 with a 5.67 ERA over 33 appearances for the 2019 Yankees and most recently spent the 2020 season with the Seattle Mariners.
Cortes Jr. has been playing winter ball this offseason in the Dominican with Estrellas de Oriente, for whom he's made four starts and posted an ERA of 2.87 across 15 2/3 innings with an impressive 21/5 K/BB ratio so far.
In 42 career MLB appearances with Baltimore, New York and Seattle, Cortes Jr. owns a 5-2 record with 80 strikeouts and 38 walks over 79 innings in the big leagues.
"I’m extremely excited to announce I will be a Yankee again," Cortes Jr. wrote on Instagram. "I’m truly lucky to have this opportunity. It’s time to work to get up there."
Cortes Jr. is the latest reliever to reportedly join the Yankees this offseason following Matt Bowman and fellow returning ex-Yankee Adam Warren.
For all the latest Yankees news and developments be sure to tune in to Monday's Yankees Hot Stove episode on YES Network at 7 p.m.
