When the New York Yankees rushed Nestor Cortes back in late 2024 from a flexor strain suffered as he shuffled between the bullpen and rotation, he rejoined the roster with a depressing declaration. “If I have a ring, and then a year off from baseball, so be it," Cortes said prior to the World Series. And knowing how hard he fought for an MLB career, it should be no surprise that he'd be prepared to fight again, secure in the knowledge that he'd given everything in pursuit of a title.
Of course, only half of that prophecy was fulfilled.