Report: Padres interested in Marlins’ Garrett Cooper
Credit: AP Photo
The Padres appear to have an interest in Garrett Cooper of the Marlins.
A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres may not be done adding talent this winter.
According to a report from MLB Network contributor Craig Mish, the San Diego Padres are interested in Miami Marlins’ first basemen and outfielder Garrett Cooper.
Unclear if Marlins will actually trade Garrett Cooper or not but no shortage of teams checking on his availability with the Duvall signing. Padres now join the Dodgers among the interested clubs. Per sources.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) February 10, 2021
Cooper excelled in the Marlins’ 60-game season, headlining their offense en route to Miami’s first postseason appearance since 2003. His .353 OBP, .500 SLG, and .853 OPS in 2020 were all career highs.
The 30-year-old right-handed hitter is from Torrance, California, and was drafted in 2013 out of the University of Auburn by the Milwaukee Brewers. The 6th-round pick never made the majors in Milwaukee but did while playing for the Yankees in 2017.
The Miami Marlins are 9 outs away after Garrett Cooper goes jack city #JuntosMiami https://t.co/re3gonXZuo
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) October 2, 2020
His primary position is first base, but Cooper is also experienced in the outfield, primarily right field. Cooper has yet to play close to a full season, battling injuries in both 2019 and 2020. The small sample size leads to mixed reviews on his fielding.
If acquired, Cooper’s role with the Padres would remain unclear, as the Padres are currently set at first base and right field through 2022 with Eric Hosmer and Will Myers. However, Padres general manager A.J. Preller prioritized this offseason to improve the depth of the Padres, so Cooper may also fit that billing as a bench piece.
Cooper is under team control through the 2024 season and will earn $1.8 million in 2021.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”
I think Cronenworth played a good 1B when Hosmer went down in 2020. Nola also has experience there if needed. I’d rather have a good defensive center fielder who can play the corner spots too on the bench.
There comes a point where the team needs to be settled. I think we are there at this point. I don’t see this as a big positive to help us. We still have young talent (Ona) that we’ll need to find playing time for. I’d prefer everyday starters not a constant platooning situation. Guys need the ABs to be sharp. If we have money still, and were to bring another OF in, I’d like for it to be Bradley who is a plus defender with a plus bat.
Only makes sense if he’s platooned with Hosmer. Otherwise just a below average fielding corner OF. And the club still doesn’t have a bench player capable of playing CF on anything more than an emergency basis.