Send Right-Handed Reliever Devin Williams to New York
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers have announced the acquisition of left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, infielder Caleb Durbin, and cash from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Devin Williams. The announcement was made by Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Arnold.
An updated 40-man roster can be found here.
“We are excited to add Nestor to the organization,” said Arnold. “Nestor brings an accomplished veteran left-handed presence to the starting rotation, and we look forward to him playing a key role in our success in 2025.”
Nestor Cortes, 30, boasts a career record of 33-21 with a 3.80 ERA in 135 games (86 starts) over seven Major League seasons with the Baltimore Orioles (2018), Seattle Mariners (2020), and New York Yankees (2019, 2021-24). Opponents have hit just .234 against him, and he has accumulated 575 strikeouts in 568.0 innings pitched. Last season, Cortes appeared in 31 games with the Yankees, including a career-high 30 starts, and posted a 9-10 record with a 3.77 ERA. He was the Yankees’ Opening Day starter in 2024.
Cortes was an All-Star in 2022 and finished eighth in American League Cy Young Award voting after going 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts. He held opponents to a .189 batting average that season while recording a 0.92 WHIP and 163 strikeouts in 158.1 innings pitched.
“We are pleased to bring Caleb Durbin into the infield mix,” added Arnold. “He is an exciting and aggressive young athlete who possesses the qualities we look for in a big-league player. Caleb has outstanding speed, makes contact, and has the ability to play all over the infield.”
Caleb Durbin, 24, was recently named the 2024 Arizona Fall League Breakout Prospect of the Year after batting .312 (29-for-93) with 5 home runs, 21 RBI, and 29 stolen bases (an AFL record) in 24 games with the Salt River Rafters. This followed a regular season where he batted .287 with 10 home runs, 60 RBI, and 29 stolen bases in 82 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Throughout his Minor League career, Durbin has primarily been an infielder, making starts at second base (148 games), third base (65 games), and shortstop (41 games). He has struck out only 111 times while drawing 134 walks over 1,216 career plate appearances.
Durbin was initially selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Washington University in St. Louis. He was traded to the Yankees in December 2022 as part of the deal for left-handed reliever Lucas Luetge.
Arnold concluded, “Devin Williams played a major role in the team’s success over recent seasons, and we are grateful to have had him perform for us at such a high level. We wish Devin all the best in his career going forward.”
