At the start of the offseason Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned the bullpen and a right-handed batter as focal points.
The Dodgers addressed their group of relief pitchers with several transactions, most notably with a trade for Corey Knebel and re-signing Blake Treinen. However, with the start of Spring Training just over a week away, L.A. still has not found their coveted right-handed hitter.
Considering the Dodgers also have a void at third base, most have assumed the two needs would be filled by re-signing Justin Turner. Remaining with the Dodgers has long been considered the likely scenario, but Turner has additionally drawn interest from the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets.
As the Dodgers continue to evaluate options for their roster, they checked on a potential trade with the Miami Marlins for Garrett Cooper, according to baseball insider Craig Mish:
Sources indicate the Los Angeles Dodgers have inquired about Miami Marlins 1B/OF Garrett Cooper.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) February 9, 2021
Cooper is under team control via salary arbitration through the 2024 season. The Torrance, Calif., native made his MLB debut in 2017 with the New York Yankees, and spent parts of the past three seasons with the Marlins.
Cooper appeared in a career-high 107 games during the 2019 season, batting .281/.344/.446 with 16 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBI. He followed that up by hitting .283/.353/.500 with six home runs and a 130 OPS+ in 34 games last season.
The 30-year-old has played first base, left field and right field. With the Dodgers he likely would be an option off the bench and potential candidate to serve as a regular designated hitter should it return to the National League this season.
Cooper has relatively even splits, with a career .807 on-base plus slugging percentage against left-handed pitching.
Dodgers Spring Training dates
Dodgers pitchers and catchers are due to report at Camelback Ranch by Wednesday, Feb. 17, with their first official workout of camp taking place the next day. The team’s first full-squad workout is set for Tuesday, Feb. 23.
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