The Braves have signed first baseman Garrett Cooper to a minor league contract, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. The deal includes an invitation for Cooper to attend Atlanta’s big league Spring Training camp.
After spending the majority of his eight MLB seasons with the Marlins, Cooper now heads back to the NL East in the hopes of achieving some stability in what has become a journeyman-esque couple of years. Miami dealt Cooper to the Padres at the 2023 trade deadline, and upon entering free agency last winter, Cooper landed with the Cubs on a minor league contract. He was then designated for assignment and subsequently traded to the Red Sox at the end of April, but was then DFA’ed again by Boston in June and then released.
Cooper signed another minors deal with the Orioles but didn’t make any appearances with Baltimore at the MLB level, as injuries hampered his time at Triple-A Norfolk. Cooper had a .914 OPS over 84 plate appearances with Norfolk, which might hint that he has something left in the tank as he enters his age-34 season, even if his MLB numbers with Chicago and Boston left a lot to be desired.
Cooper hit well in 41 PA with the Cubs before struggling badly over 75 PA with the Red Sox. It added up to an overall .206/.267/.299 slash line over 116 plate appearances, and the second straight season of declining numbers for Cooper after his Marlins heyday. Cooper hit .274/.350/.444 over 1273 PA for Miami from 2019-22, and was the team’s All-Star representative in 2022 even though injuries and the Marlins’ overall lower profile made him something of an underrated hitter.
While there has always been a good deal of swing-and-miss in Cooper’s game even in his prime years, his strikeout rates have increased over the last two seasons and his hard-contact numbers have dropped. Defensively, Cooper played a good deal of right field earlier in his career but has been almost exclusively a first baseman since the start of the 2021 season, apart from two appearances in left field for the Cubs this year.
Since Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna have the first base and DH positions locked down in Atlanta, the outfield is likely Cooper’s best path to winning a job on the Braves’ Opening Day roster. Jarred Kelenic is penciled in for the bulk of work in left field, but since he’ll need a platoon partner, a right-handed bat like Cooper might be an ideal fit.
A return to right field also might not be out of the question, as Ronald Acuna Jr. is expected to miss some time at the start of the season as he returns from a torn ACL. The Braves have added Bryan De La Cruz (a former teammate of Cooper’s in Miami) and Conner Capel to an outfield depth chart that also includes Luke Williams and Eli White, as the team will try to make do in the corner outfield slots until Acuna is back in action.
Bargain Bin Braves strike again!
At least your Braves are making moves. Ca t be said for the Padres.
Yeah but SD didn’t really lose anybody yet. ATL lost 2 SP including their ace, their C, top set-up RP, etc. SD will be better than ATL.
In what world is re-signed Fried our ace above sale or strider?
One where Fried pitches while Strider sits in the IL
@lousassoll – Let’s just not mention how they should be getting back an arguable Cy candidate in Strider ~2 months in and should see more IP from Lopez and Schwellenbach, not to mention increase from Holmes and some room needed for top prospects: AJSS/Waldrep/Hackenberg.
Fried was not the ace. Their C got paid the higher contract, and was C most of the time (when healthy). Sheesh
To the people saying Fried wasn’t the ace I think that’s very much debatable
2022 was Fried not our ace? Finished second in voting that year
In 2023 sure Strider had the better year
Then in 2024 Sale came in and had a better year
So they’ve all had a year where they were better than the other two. Just because Fried’s wasn’t the most recent doesn’t mean there’s not a strong claim to him as the ace.
For what it’s worth I’d pick Strider but I respect anyone’s opinion who thinks it’s Fried. All of them would have an argument.
So yeah… they lost an ace level candidate if that’s easier for some of you to swallow
I know some of you are content with the bare minimum though so you’re ok with him leaving since we technically still have Strider and Sale who count as the ace. When Sale leaves and it’s just Strider guess what…. You’ll still have an ace so it doesn’t matter to replace Sale either… right????
Some of you make the worst arguments. Whether or not Fried is your choice for the Braves ace makes no difference when he’s ace caliber. We lost an ace caliber pitcher, end of story
Please do research and look at payroll. Braves in top 10 for a few years. They are hardly bargain bin.
@Simonrb
The subject at hand is Garrett Cooper, it isn’t who else is on the Braves roster or who has been on the Braves roster for the past “few years”.
I agree with crime dog.
Why are we signing all those older players. And yes I know it’s a MiLB contract but are any of these guys going to move the needle at towards a championship whether it be on Major League or heck even the Minor league teams for that matter?
You have to have depth. Have to.
There’s no such thing as too much competition in S.T.
Coppy’s sanctions a few years ago took away 13 low-level prospects (not inc. draft picks) and prevented a few years of int’l FA that would be coming in, hurting depth in the system, when figuring some of those would be graduating through the system (not all/many). Took some time, and AA won a championship, but we’re reaping what Coppy/Hart (he knew) sowed.
@RunDMC my mind is absolutely blown to hear you say that! lol You’re always pretty neutral when it comes to judging Braves FO…I’m not a AA hater but also not a fan-boy and a lot of us have been saying that for years now about benefiting from what Coppy built. Welcome to our side finally!! lol…Seriously tho who was the best prospect we lost because of that? Maitan maybe? Plus some unrealized prospects we may or may not have come across as well I’m sure.
@braveshomer — I’ve been saying this since it happened. Sure, Maitan/Livian Soto were the most coveted, and haven’t really panned out, but their success/failure some years later in someone else’s system, not including the picks (and signings we lost in the sanctions) still is relevant when we’re commenting on minor-league signings to help farm depth. If you think that ATL can do more with their own prospects, you’ve got to think that that some of them could have helped avoid some of this depth issue, had that never happened and maybe we wouldn’t have been starting Zack Short at 2B in 2024 (as one of a few examples). Coppy helped quite a bit, but he stole from Peter to pay Mary, honestly. Some of the biggest coups he also inherited from Wren’s era, tbh. The best biggest acquisitions are often the ones you don’t make.
I guess the upper levels of the Braves minors are so thin due to trades and promotions that they need to populate with these kinds of players. Cooper was a decent hitter just a couple of years ago. Maybe he can rekindle some of that. It doesn’t hurt to have a backup for Olson with some MLB experience.
No mention of the fact that he spent most of his time in the Baltimore org on the Tides’ injured list?
You mean like where it says “injuries hampered his time at Triple-A Norfolk”?
That was added when the article was updated, after my comment. You realize they make edits, right?
Then why so judgmental, knowing that they will likely update? Or do you feel you were the motivation for the update?
Because it wasn’t in the original and was literally the most recent impact on his playing time, and thus most relevant to his 2024 season? Duh
Are you Sewald of the infamous sweats swiffer curve?
Former Pesky Marlin, Garrett Cooper.
With Anderson last season, they have now completed their “Decent Marlins hitters from 5 years ago” set.
Truth be told, if he can play a little left field and hit like he did with the marlins, it’s not a terrible signing. He always killed the Braves for whatever reason although he didn’t exactly crush it elsewhere … good overall depth move
Should have just signed Gary Cooper he played Lou Gehrig…..yes I know he’s dead but he probably would put up similar big league numbers.
He can try hard to look like Gary Cooper, but he just doesn’t have that same super-duper factor.
If you were Gary Cooper, you’d have to eat Babe Ruth’s hat. At least, it smelled like hot dogs and beer.
@paleobros, Whenever I sing along with “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” I always substitute Garrett Cooper for Gary Cooper!
In the late 70’s the Braves actually had my high school teammate named Gary Cooper on the roster..
It’s hard to keep up with all of the ‘Garrett’ news stories these days.
Definitely need more Gerrit stories for a change.
Well I for one am quite worried if the Braves even make the playoffs in 2025 at this point. The plan must be to give AJSS a go at MLB. I don’t want to see them trade away top prospects for 1 year of a superstar. It does appear the Braves are going to send it. Window might have closed. Lost Freddie then Dansby now Fried..
I think they are worried about this upcoming season with star players starting on the injured list. They probably are resetting their luxury tax this year to regroup for next year. If things go right for them then they add at the trade deadline.
They had to counter the Mets signing of Soto somehow
Did they sign him at High Noon?
Wow if he’s guaranteed like 100k that brings total Braves spending to 500k this offseason totally a serious organization trying to win AA totally a great genius GM Braves fans should keep worshipping.
Keep defending your offseason, Braves fans, it’s actually hilarious. Those ex-Marlins De La Cruz and Cooper are totally going to put you over the top in the NL vs. the Dodgers, Mets and Phils. Job done, don’t need real FAs to replace the talent you’re bleeding. AA is so much smarter than everyone else and can just bargain bin shop and make it work.
@D2323: The Braves aren’t “bleeding talent.” They’re getting healthy again while AA’s created roster room for young players who’ll bring value at a good price. Keep believing that over paying players destined to under perform their bloated FA deals and cripple team payrolls is the only way to succeed. DLC and Cooper are the typical kinds of mil depth all teams add. “Actually hilarious” is your inability to understand the Braves patient team building approach. ZIPS predicts the Braves to have the second most wins in the NL in 2025. 94 1/2 is the total Vegas has on the Braves.
Seems like you’re a little envious of the Braves consistent success.
He surely was smarter than the Red Sox when he stole Chris Sale last year for the inept and always-injured Vaughn Grissom. And you’ll remember a few years ago when he wouldn’t pay what Josh Donaldson was seeking and the Twins got saddled with that horrible free-agent contract. And of course there are the well-below-market contract extensions he secured Acuna and Albie’s prime years with. I could go on and on, but it’s not worth my time.
It’s worked out for him pretty well so far
All these minor league deals aa is doing is for depth. Better hope that team stays more healthy than last yr. The depth isn’t that great. Farm system is weak. This move here does make sense because if Olson gets injured. Nobody in farm system so then bring up ️
Austin has been their primary backup at 1B, but he’s coming off injury as well, so they need a little more depth.
Wouldn’t you think they go with Ozuna at 1B, who took 1B reps last year, rather than relying on Riley moving over? If they do that, then they can also utilize an addt bat via DH.
I wouldn’t mind it, but it isn’t what they’ve done in the past. But then, Olson hasn’t missed a start since he was an Athletic.
@stugots: The mil upper levels have little position player depth beyond Drake Baldwin, but their pitching depth is very strong.
Crucial as they need a 1b
Is this the guy they sang about in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN??
Super Duper!
For what its worth, at least Coops has a 3.4 career WAR.
Ross Dress for Less for the win!
If he could at least play passable outfield he’d make the team
This guy would be starting in Seattle.
I was hoping Cooper would hit in Boston as he was decent with the Marlins in years past but he just never got going. At the very least the Braves will give a chance to show off for others if he doesn’t make their team
Does not hit for power