Shock & Gratitude In That Devin Williams - Nestor Cortes Trade

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Every day you see Yankee fans holding back tears for a pitcher sporting a glorious mustache, but Nestor Cortes wasn’t just any pitcher. I’m being dramatic, but you know what I mean. We like our guys.

He was our Nasty Nestor—a crafty lefty, a clubhouse sparkplug, and a guy who made a city of 8.5 million believe in baseball magic again. So, when the Yankees pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brewers last Friday, swapping Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin for the electric Devin Williams, it hit different, but good for everyone.

The trade was the baseball equivalent of a shocking plot twist. For weeks, the Dodgers were the rumored frontrunners to land Williams, Milwaukee’s two-time All-Star closer whose “airbender” changeup belongs in a Smithsonian exhibit. Even Williams himself thought Hollywood was calling.

“I kinda thought I’d be going to L.A.; that’s what I was being told,” Williams admitted during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “The Yankees snuck in there under the table and got the deal done.”

The Yankees, sneaky? Who knew? Love it though.

While Williams was left marveling at the Yankees’ last-minute chess move, fans in The Bronx were processing the reality of saying goodbye to Cortes.  Drafted by the team in the 36th round in 2013, Cortes left for the Orioles, returned, left again for Seattle, and then came back—like a pitcher in a rom-com who couldn’t quit New York. It was his second return in 2021 that truly cemented his legacy.

By 2022, Cortes had blossomed into an All-Star, baffling hitters with a mix of funky deliveries, pinpoint precision, and pure moxie. The fans loved him. The city loved him. And most importantly, Cortes loved them back.

“Seems like I’ve written this too many times about NY,” Cortes wrote in a heartfelt social media post after the trade, accompanied by photos from his Yankees tenure. “But I’m always grateful and proud of being groomed by the Yankee organization. A city full of life and tremendous support from the fans. Where us as players leave everything out on the field regardless of the outcome because the city is breathing and living by every win. With such a unique journey.”

Unique, indeed. How many other pitchers have pitched a full game with one pant leg rolled up because it was just too hot out?

For fans, the sting of losing Cortes was softened by what they were gaining. Williams is no slouch. A former NL Rookie of the Year, two-time All-Star, and two-time NL Reliever of the Year, he’s a flamethrower who makes opposing hitters look like they’ve wandered into a magic show. His airbender changeup is one of the nastiest pitches in baseball—a pitch so absurd that even seasoned batters swing at it like they’re trying to swat a mosquito.

And Williams is already embracing the pinstripes. “It’s a tremendous honor,” he said. “This is the Yankees. This is baseball’s biggest stage. I’m ready to get to work.”

While the trade makes sense on paper—New York needed bullpen reinforcements, Milwaukee wanted a proven starter and an infield prospect—baseball trades are never just business. They’re personal. For Yankee fans, losing Cortes isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about the memories. It’s about his quirky personality, his fearless pitching, and the way he made you believe that baseball could still be fun.

As for Cortes, don’t expect him to disappear from the hearts of Yankee fans anytime soon. This is the city that adores its players, even when they’re wearing another team’s uniform. And knowing Cortes, he’ll probably tip his cap with that signature grin the next time he pitches at Yankee Stadium, even if it’s for the Brewers.

In the meantime, the Yankees have Devin Williams, and he’s ready to deliver. Cortes may have left the Bronx, but he leaves behind a legacy of grit, smiles, and funky deliveries that will never fade.

And hey, baseball is unpredictable. Who’s to say Cortes doesn’t find his way back to New York for a fourth stint? After all, some love stories never really end.