Cortes Jr. made 33 appearances for the Yankees last season and posted a 5.67 ERA with 69 strikeouts over 66.2 innings of work. He spent the majority of the season in the big leagues and made a nice impact out of the pen during the first half of the year.
However, after the All-Star break, the crafty left-hander really struggled. He posted a 6.49 ERA and allowed 10 HR in just 34.2 IP. His worst month of the season came in September when he had an ERA of 12.10 and opponents hit .404 against him. The way he finished the season likely cost him a spot on the Yankees postseason roster and as it turned out it probably cost him a spot on next year’s club as well.