Garrett

Cooper

Cooper, 34, didn’t get much of a chance last season, playing in 36 games with the Cubs and Red Sox and hitting .206/.267/.299. He’s still probably a solid right-handed bat, but since he’s no longer a realistic option in the outfield, he’s a tough sell as a bench player. The Braves could keep him as Triple-A insurance, just as they did with Yuli Gurriel for much of last season.

Cooper will give the Orioles some depth at the minor-league level. The 33-year-old will need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to play for Baltimore in 2024, and it’s tough to see him carving out regular playing time even if that happens.

The Orioles aren’t lacking for first base/DH/corner outfield options, so Cooper doesn’t seem like a great fit here, though it would give him a chance at a World Series ring. The Yankees were also supposed to be interested, but that was before they acquired J.D. Davis.

It’s not surprising to hear that the Yankees are exploring external options with Anthony Rizzo (forearm), though most fantasy managers want to see them let Ben Rice get a chance to run with the opportunity. Cooper was released by the Red Sox last Saturday after hitting just .174/.227/.229 in 70 at-bats with the team.

Cooper went unclaimed on waivers after posting a .455 OPS with zero homers and five RBI across 75 plate appearances in 24 contests for the Red Sox after being acquired back in late April from the Cubs in a small trade. The 33-year-old first baseman should be able to latch on somewhere else, but will probably have to settle for a minor league contract.

Cooper hit just .174/.227/.229 in 70 at-bats with the Red Sox. He’s removed from the active and 40-man roster with Masataka Yoshida activated off the injured list from his thumb injury. Cooper is now on the waiver wire, and if he goes unclaimed he can report to Triple-A or elect free agency.

Yoshida ended up missing a little more than a month with his left thumb strain. The 30-year-old should see plenty of playing time in the Boston outfield now that he’s back on the roster, likely as the designated hitter. He’ll be the DH Tuesday against the Phillies and hit fifth. To make room for Yoshida on the roster, the Red Sox designated Garrett Cooper for assignment.

After getting off to a torrid start, O’Neill has struggled of late. Since his collision with Rafael Devers in the outfield on April 15th which landed O’Neill on the concussion IL, the outfielder has hit just .219 with three home runs and a 41.5 percent strikeout rate. He was hitting .313 with seven home runs and a 21 percent strikeout rate prior. While the early season sample size is small, it’s worth noting that concussion symptoms can linger, as we saw with Anthony Rizzo last year. Perhaps it’s just a cold stretch, but maybe O’Neill is still feeling some effects of the head injury. Rob Refsnyder will be in left field and hitting third on Thursday while Garrett Cooper will DH and bat sixth.

Cooper was drilled by a pitch on the right wrist and was immediately lifted from his Red Sox debut at Fenway Park. He’ll presumably head for X-rays to determine whether he suffered any fractures. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

Cooper was acquired from the Cubs for cash over the weekend and looks likely to make his Red Sox debut on Tuesday. The Red Sox were interested in signing Cooper as a free agent in the offseason and then after Triston Casas went down with an injury, their interest became even more intense. Cooper was having a solid start to the regular season in Chicago, slashing .270/.341/.432 with a homer and six RBI. There’s a good chance that he is the everyday first baseman in Boston until Casas returns in two or more months. Pablo Reyes was designated for assignment to make room for Cooper.