"Insane way to find out you got traded" - Fans react to Yankees trading Nestor Cortes Jr. to Brewers amid Las Vegas birthday celebrations
The MLB offseason is moving fast, and Nestor Cortes Jr. was caught partying for his birthday before waking up to learn he's no longer a Yankee. The New York Yankees traded their southpaw and infield prospect Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for two-time All-Star relief pitcher Devin Williams on Friday.
According to Curt Hogg, Cortes was unaware of the trade and was in Las Vegas celebrating his 30th birthday on Dec. 10. He woke up to find numerous texts and missed calls, learning that he had been traded out of the Bronx.
Fans were amused and reacted humorously to how the southpaw found out about his trade.
"Insane way to find out you got traded lmao," one fan commented.
"Nestor, it's Frank Constanza, Brian Cashman is here. George is dead. Call me back," another wrote.
"3 years from now a player will wake up in Las Vegas to discover he’s been traded to Las Vegas," another added.
"Nestor, do you know where Milwaukee is located?" another asked.
"That 'Yanks forever'atattoo he got last night is probably not going to age well," another taunted the star.
"Happy birthday! We just traded you," another said.
Looking at the Nestor Cortes Jr. trade
It was no secret that the Yankees needed help in the bullpen, which struggled the most during the World Series against the LA Dodgers. Part of why they lost the Fall Classic title can be attributed to the bullpen’s issues.
Acquiring Devin Williams adds a strong option to their relief corps. Additionally, after signing Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal, the Yankees needed to clear a rotation spot.
The Yankees' current rotation includes Gerrit Cole, Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt. Meanwhile, the Brewers bolster their starting rotation by acquiring Cortes, who’ll join right-handers Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Tobias Myers and Aaron Civale.
Both teams got what they wanted, which is the essence of the trade.