When the Milwaukee Brewers shipped veteran lefty Nestor Cortes to the San Diego Padres on July 31, it was the kind of deadline deal that made sense for both sides. The Brewers, already flush with pitching depth, took the opportunity to add an intriguing outfield depth piece with big-league experience in Brandon Lockridge. The Padres, meanwhile, were gambling that Cortes, fresh off a return from a left elbow flexor strain, could steady their rotation for the playoff push.
Two weeks later, the early returns in San Diego have been, let’s say, a mixed bag. In his first three starts as a Padre, Cortes owns an 0–1 record with a 4.