The New York Yankees were on shaky ground! Their performance was dipping, and the team’s pitching staff was wilting under pressure. The Yanks needed a change and given that Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil were making a comeback, Boone decided to bite the bullet and make a shift. He made the tough yet much-needed decision of moving Nestor Cortes Jr. to the bullpen. But seems like this decision worked in a way for Cortes!

Cortes was assigned to piggyback Schmidt for the second game against the Cubs. There he delivered a stellar game pitching 4.1 hitless innings with three strikeouts. A change, for sure — but is this him showing the team that they have made a poor decision? We will never know, but Nestor Cortes Jr. sure isn’t happy with the decision. He voiced his frustrations loudly and Aaron Boone had a lot to say about it, starting with the fact that he doesn’t need to satisfy everyone.

Aaron Boone’s reaction to Nestor Cortes Jr.’s statements

Cortes is upset about his move to the bullpen, as he noted, “Obviously, I was upset. I felt like I’ve been, amongst all the starters, the workhorse here … Now they do this.” However, Nestor Cortes Jr. did say that he would never back down from a challenge or leave his teammates out to dry, adding, “You’re always going to get my best effort no matter if I’m happy or not.” In reply to this statement, Aaron Boone had a firm take, affirming that he doesn’t need everyone to be on the same page.

Boone touched upon Cortes Jr.’s statement, saying that he has no issues with anything that the player has mentioned. From being upset to him feeling like a workhorse, “I don’t need everyone to be happy with everything. I want them wanting and expecting the best. There comes a time when you’ve you got to make difficult decisions and and then it’s on all of us and the players to go out there and do your job and be a pro. That’s what we saw with Nestor yesterday,” said manager Aaron Boone.

Aaron Boone further stated, “Clearly, he wants to be starting, and certainly there’s a case for that. He’s now going back into the rotation. But we also saw a guy come out and excel in a low-scoring game yesterday and finish off a great day for us on the mound.” But now, the questions of Nestor Cortes Jr. and his possible move seem to be making the rounds. And Boone, of course, got hit with that question straight on.

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Is a permanent bullpen move for Cortes Jr. on the horizon?

In no way has Nestor Cortes Jr. performed poorly this season. Going into Saturday, he had thrown more running than any other Yankee starter this season with 159 innings and a 4.08 ERA in 28 stars. We get what Nestor Cortes Jr. means by him being a “workhorse” at the Yankees! On Saturday, he did better than ever coming out of the bullpen, even entering mid-inning and stranding a runner at third. But with his move to the bullpen, even after a solid performance, questions arose — is the team considering a permanent switch for Cortes? Well, Boone too didn’t give a definite answer!

Aaron Boone mentioned, “I am not surprised he excelled in that role because he has done that in the past … I feel he is capable whether he is starting, whether it is coming in a big situation or whether it is about getting big outs for the team.” For now, the Yankees are planning to move Nestor Cortes Jr. back into rotation later this week — probably on Friday against the Red Sox in The Bronx. The team is also not expected to continue with their six-man rotation and will trim it back to five soon. This crunch comes after Schmidt and Luis Gill retired to the game after being on the IL this weekend. 

Regardless of whether Cortes stays in the bullpen temporarily or permanently, one thing is certain—Nestor Cortes Jr. will always give his best. As Boone put it, it’s all about doing the job, whether just starting or leaving. What do you make of his narrative? Share in the comments.