20:50: The Padres also showed interest in Cooper, tweet Mish, adding that ‘no shortage of teams’ the Marlins called about him following the Duvall deal. Trade for Cooper would be the last notable off-season by the Padres, who aggressively tried to chase division rival Dodgers through the winter.
19:34: The Marlins add Adam Duvall to their outfield, and can push that pickup Garrett Cooper from Miami. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Cooper’s status with the team is in doubt because Duvall is coming on board. The Dodgers have already inquired about Cooper, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports.
Whether Miami would seriously consider trading Cooper is unknown, but it could be considered redundant due to Duvall’s signing. Both players are right-handed victims who can stand in the corner, and although Cooper was mostly a first-timer, the Marlins still have an appetizer in Jesus Aguilar. If there is no universal DH in 2021, Cooper could end up elsewhere.
Cooper, who turned thirty on Christmas Day, has been a productive and affordable part of the Marlins offense for the past few years. He was definitely one of their best hits last season, hitting .283 / .353 / .500 (134 wRC +) with six home games in 133 record games. His history of mixing respected offense (114 careers wRC +) with defensive versatility, not to mention his three remaining years of team control and $ 1.9 million salary in 2021, would make a good brand for Miami.
The Dodgers are known for attaching a lot of value to players who can perform in various positions, so Cooper seems to fit in with the reigning World Series champion. He might see time on first base, with people like Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Edwin Rios, and will join Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock as veterans who may be off-field, on the Dodgers team.