Lefties Kendry Rojas and Néstor Cortés were dealt at the trade deadline by their clubs respectively. Rojas was traded to the Twins by the Bluejays with outfielder Alan Roden for right-hander Louis Varland and infielder Ty France. While Cortés comes to San Diego with minor league shortstop Jorge Quintana for outfielder Brandon Lockeridge.
Cortés will become the fourth Cuban to see action this year with the Padres, following Yuli Gurriel, José Iglesias, and Adrián Morejón. The hurler hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 3 and was scheduled to return to the Brewers’ starting staff in August. This will be his fifth different team in MLB, after also playing with the Orioles, Yankees, and Seattle.
The southpaw (1-1, 9.00) only made two starts this season with Milwaukee before getting injured. Cortés has been the most consistent Cuban starter in the Major Leagues in recent years, despite his injuries, making 86 starts over the past five seasons. Last December, he was part of a trade to the Milwaukee Brewers. Over his eighth year career he sports a 34-22 record, 3.88 earned run average and was an All-Star in 2022.
Rojas’ presence in the trade speaks positively to the importance he was given among Toronto’s prospects, as a pitcher with the potential to reach the Major Leagues in the near future. In 2025, he has played in four levels of the Minor Leagues: Rookie Class, Class A, Double-A, and Triple-A combining for a 1-3 record in 11 starts (10 as a starter), with a 3.46 ERA in 41.2 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (62-9) has been impressive, and also has an exquisite 1.13 WHIP.