After eight Major League seasons, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper has decided to retire. The 34-year-old Cooper made the announcement on his Instagram account, praising his family and the many others who helped him along the way.
“This game has given me more than I could have ever imagined,” Cooper wrote in his goodbye post. “I’ve had the privilege of living out every little kid’s dream and calling baseball my career for over a decade. I poured everything I had into this game, and in return, it gave me memories, lessons, and relationships that I will carry with me forever.”
Beginning his career as a sixth-round pick for the Brewers in the 2013 draft, Cooper never suited up for Milwaukee, as he was dealt to the Yankees in July 2017. He made his MLB debut that year by playing in 13 games in the pinstripes before the Yankees traded him to the Marlins in November 2017, as part of a noteworthy deal that brought Michael King to the Bronx.
Miami was Cooper’s professional home for the next six seasons, as he established himself as a regular in the Marlins’ lineup whenever his health allowed. Cooper was plagued by multiple injuries during his time with the Fish, and since he was already 26 years old when he first broke into the majors, his status as a somewhat older “prospect” on a rebuilding Marlins club led to Cooper losing out on some playing time in favor of younger players.
However, Cooper showed his value at the plate when he was able to play. Cooper hit 274/.350/.444 over 1273 plate appearances during the 2019-22 seasons, translating to a 116 wRC+ over that span. His best performances came in the middle two years of that four-season span, and his .853 OPS over 133 PA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season helped the Marlins make a surprise playoff appearance. Cooper’s good numbers early in the 2022 campaign earned him a selection on the NL All-Star team.
As he was approaching free agency after the 2023 season, Cooper was dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline, with Ryan Weathers heading back to Miami in return. Cooper’s production was on the decline in 2023 and he could only land a minor league deal with the Cubs that offseason. Cooper’s final MLB season saw him appear in 12 games with the Cubs and 24 more appearances with the Red Sox in 2024, and another minors contract with the Braves last winter resulted in Cooper getting released in May without any call-ups to the Show.
Over 517 games and 1929 career plate appearances, Cooper hit .265/.333/.427 with 57 home runs. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Cooper on a fine career, and we wish him the best in his post-playing days.