SAN DIEGO -- Nearing the final minutes of the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, the San Diego Padres will reportedly acquire left-handed starter Nestor Cortes from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Brandon Lockridge, according to Ken Rosenthal.
Brewers acquiring Brandon Lockridge from Padres for Nestor Cortes Jr., source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2025
Cortes was an All Star and finished eighth in the AL Cy Young voting as a member of the New York Yankees in 2022. Over five seasons in the Bronx he compiled a 33-20 record over 85 starts and 126 appearances with a 3.61 ERA, 3.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings to go with a 1.132 WHIP.
The 30-year-old pending free agent has made two starts this season with the Brewers in late March/early April before being being placed on the 60-day IL on April 21 with a left elbow flexor strain. Milwaukee has sent him on a trio of rehab assignments, with the most recent coming on July 18 with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. In a pair of starts with Nashville he threw 14 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with 16 strikeouts and three walks.
In the 2024 season Cortes had a primary arsenal of four pitches, relying on his 92.1 MPH four-seam fastball 44.4% of the time to go with a cutter that had a 22.4% PutAway, a changeup and sweeper, though on occasion he'd also throw a sinker or a slider. From 2020-2024 he did not finish lower than 84th percentile in expected OBP against while three times his fastball run value ranked at or above the 92nd percentile.
Additionally, the Padres also picked up 18-year-old shortstop prospect Jorge Quintana and cash as part of the deal, according to Jeff Sanders.
#Padres also get SS Jorge Quintana from #Brewers in the Cortes trade.
— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) July 31, 2025
Signed for $1.7M in Jan '24.
Was No. 19 in system last year but not in current https://t.co/1IGU54OeKi top-30 for MIL.
Switch-hitter just hit .264/.349/.403 with 3 HRs and 19 steals in 50 games in ACL. https://t.co/xMFAeHNP30
Lockridge, who made his Majors debut with the Padres after being acquired from the Yankees in 2024 and later made a pair of postseason appearances as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, earned a spot on San Diego's Opening Day roster. In 47 games with the Brown and Gold this season he slashed .216/.258/.261 with four doubles, five RBIs and successfully stole on eight of nine attempts while playing all three outfield positions.
The righty bat was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on June 22, where he has appeared in 21 games and slashed .291/.408/.468 with four doubles, two triples and two home runs, in addition to successfully stealing a base on all seven of his attempts.
This story was updated at 3:56 p.m.