Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes roughly a week after the team lost Triston Casas for an extended period with a rib injury.
Boston was reportedly interested in another veteran, C.J. Cron, but likely turned to Cooper after he surprisingly became available earlier in the week. Cooper is expected to immediately join a Red Sox lineup that has been littered with injuries.
Boston Red Sox Acquire Garrett Cooper
The Cubs initially signed Cooper to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. He earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and has hit pretty well this season. In 41 plate appearances, Cooper produced a 115 OPS+ with a .270/.341/.432 slash line while playing first base and left field.
Despite Cooper’s solid production, Chicago decided to give playing time to younger players like Michael Busch and Matt Mervis. The Cubs initially wanted Cooper as platoon insurance for Busch, but he eventually lost playing time after Busch’s hot start. Plus, Mervis has been raking in Triple-A. With Cooper not in their long-term plans, the Cubs decided to move on.
And as it turns out, the numbers game played in Boston’s favor. Though he has some versatility, Cooper will likely solely play first base in Boston while Casas is out. For the past week, the Red Sox have mainly deployed Bobby Dalbec at first. However, the 28-year-old has struggled immensely, which continues a trend of the past few years.
The Red Sox acquire Cooper, an All-Star in 2022, as a clear upgrade over internal options. The 33-year-old has typically hit well throughout his career and should give Boston a consistent quality bat. He’s had trouble staying healthy in his career, but the Red Sox will hope for his good health, at least until Casas returns.
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