Cordero signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in November 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the Dominican Summer League Padres and spent the whole season there, batting.270 with one home run and 38 RBIs in 61 games. In 2013, he played for the Arizona League Padres where he slashed.333/.381/.511 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 35 games. Cordero started 2014 with the Fort Wayne TinCaps and was demoted to the Eugene Emeralds during the season. In 83 total games between the two teams he batted.255 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs. He spent 2015 with Fort Wayne where he compiled a.243 batting average with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 126 games. Cordero opened the 2016 season with the Lake Elsinore Storm. During July of the same season, he was promoted to the San Antonio Missions. He also played four games for the El Paso Chihuahuas at the end of the season. In 137 games between the three clubs he batted.290/.344/.450 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. The Padres added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season. Cordero began the 2017 season with El Paso. The Padres promoted Cordero to the Major Leagues on May 27, 2017, as regular center fielderManuel Margot went to the disabled list with a strained calf. He made his major league debut that day, striking out against Stephen Strasburg as a pinch hitter. Cordero started hot, collecting 19 hits in his first 17 games, but then only had one hit in his final 10 games before he was sent back to El Paso on Margot's return. He returned to the Padres for 3 more games in July when Margot was on the paternity list, but finished the season with El Paso. In 93 games for El Paso he slashed.326/.369/.603 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs, and in 30 games for the Padres he batted.228/.276/.424 with three home runs and nine RBIs, making 22 starts in center and one in left. Cordero began 2018 on the disabled list with a groin injury, and reported to the Padres after he was activated in early April. He was the Padres regular starter in left field before he was sent to the disabled list on May 28 with forearm soreness. Cordero began a rehab assignment in El Paso in June, but pain in his right elbow led to the diagnosis of a bone spur after an MRI. Surgery on the elbow ended Cordero's Major League season, but he played in the Dominican Winter League. He finished the regular season hitting.237/.307/.439 with 9 home runs, making 22 starts in left field, 10 in center, and 4 in right. On April 20, he hit the second-longest home run in MLB for 2018, at 489 feet. On July 16, 2020, Cordero and RHP Ronald Bolaños were traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for LHP Tim Hill.
Scouting report
Cordero is considered to have elite speed, leading all the minor leagues in triples in 2016 and 2017, and ranking in the top 3% of qualified major league players in sprint speed in 2017. He has also shown elite power, ranking 35th in average batted ball exit velocity in 2017, and 20% of his batted balls exiting at 105+ mph.
