Cubs trade Cooper to Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations, the team announced Saturday.
Cooper could join the Red Sox in Boston - where they're hosting the Cubs this weekend - as soon as Sunday, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
The deal was an old-school, face-to-face negotiation during last night's game, with Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer visiting the Red Sox baseball operations box during the contest.
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Boston will assume the entirety of Cooper's remaining salary, according to Cotillo. He's earning $1.75 million this year, with another $1.25 million available through performance incentives.
Cooper appeared in 12 games for the Cubs after making the team out of spring training and hit .270/.341/.432 with one home run and six RBIs. He was designated for assignment last week when Chicago called up prospect Matt Mervis.
The Red Sox have been desperate for help at first base after Triston Casas tore rib cartilage on his left side last week. It's still unclear when he'll return, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Bobby Dalbec has covered first since Casas went down despite continuing to struggle offensively in the majors.
Cooper is an instant upgrade over Dalbec for the short term at the position. Last season, he set new career highs in home runs (17) and RBIs (61) over 123 games split between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. He was also an All-Star with Miami in 2022. Though primarily a first baseman, Cooper can also fill in as a corner outfielder if necessary.
The eight-year veteran owns a lifetime .268/.337/.435 slash line with 57 home runs and 228 RBIs across 493 big-league games with four teams.
The Red Sox transferred Casas to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for Cooper.