Padres Acquire All-Star Nestor Cortes from Brewers Amid Trade Deadline Moves

San Diego, CA — The San Diego Padres have acquired All-Star pitcher Nestor Cortes from the Milwaukee Brewers just before the 3 p.m. trade deadline on Thursday. In exchange, the Padres sent outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Milwaukee in a one-for-one deal.

Cortes, who previously played for the New York Yankees, has struggled this season, dealing with an elbow flexor strain that put him on the 15-day injured list. He was later moved to the 60-day injured list after making just two starts in which he allowed eight runs over eight innings, resulting in a 9.00 ERA.

Despite his recent challenges, Cortes earned an All-Star selection in 2022, showcasing his potential as a valuable player. He has a career ERA of 3.61 with the Yankees and played in the 2024 World Series.

The acquisition marks the second addition of a starting pitcher for the Padres at the trade deadline, following the earlier arrival of J.P. Sears from the Athletics. With these additions, the Padres now feature a full rotation that includes Cortes, Sears, Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Randy Vasquez, and Michael King.

Lockridge played 47 games this season with the Padres, posting a modest .519 OPS across 88 at-bats. The recent acquisitions of Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano have pushed Lockridge out of the team’s roster considerations, making this trade less impactful for San Diego.

As the Padres aim to boost their chances for the postseason, the team now sits three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and will head into August riding a five-game winning streak.

With Cortes expected to return from injury next month, fans and analysts alike are optimistic about his integration into the Padres’ pitching staff.