Former Marlins Slugger Finds New Home In The Majors After Shocking Designation

The former Miami Marlins slugger was off to a hot start with the Chicago Cubs before he was shockingly cut, now he lands with the Boston Red Sox.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment after Patrick Wisdom returned from the injured list. / Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins have been searching for answers on offense and might regret trading away one former slugger.

That slugger has been on a rocky stretch of his own though, now on his fourth team since the start of the 2023 season.

Garrett Cooper was traded to the San Diego Padres in August of 2023 for Ryan Weathers. After that season, he became a free agent and signed with the Chicago Cubs.

He made the Opening Day roster and got off to a hot start as a rotational piece at first base and designated hitter. Less than two weeks ago, he was slashing .310/.394/.517. Those numbers are slightly misleading though, as he had gotten off to such a hot start that when he started to slow down, the numbers still looked solid.

Still, it was a bit shocking to see him designated for assignment once the team got Patrick Wisdom back off the injured list. The position had certainly got crowded, though, with the emergence of Michael Busch taking the team's priority.

He was traded to the Boston Red Sox a few days ago and is now already getting the call back up to the majors, per the transaction wire. The corresponding move for Boston was to DFA Pablo Reyes.

He gets another chance thanks to his hot start after losing his job to simply being in a crowded room. The 33-year-old should still have plenty left in the tank and now has a chance to find a more permanent role after moving around so much in just one year's time.