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Matt Mervis is going to be called up today and Chicago Cubs fans have been trying to figure out who the first baseman is going to replace on the 26-man roster. Well, that mystery might have been solved, as a player was spotted leaving Wrigley Field with his bags packed Tuesday afternoon.
According to Ethan Wilies, veteran Garrett Cooper walked out of the Cubs clubhouse and went to the player garage with his bag over his shoulder. Wiles has photo evidence of it.
The Cubs signed Cooper late in the offseason and his inclusion on the Opening Day roster was a bit of a surprise, but his track record against left-handed pitching certainly addressed the hole left by Patrick Wisdom, who began the year on the injured list.
Cooper has played in 12 games for the Cubs this year and has posted a slash line of .270/.341/.432. The first baseman/DH played in all four games against the Miami Marlins and also had two more starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. He didn’t really take advantage of the new playing time, going 5-for-24, all singles, while striking out seven times in 26 plate appearances.
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ESPN’s Jesse Rogers confirmed that Cooper has been DFA’d by the Cubs.
With the return of Wisdom last Friday, Cooper’s spot came into question. Both players are mainly spot starters at this point against left-handed pitching and Wisdom carries a bit more versatility on the field.
In 2023, Cooper was with the Marlins and then was traded to the San Diego Padres. It was a down year for him, as Cooper only recorded a 96 wRC+ in 123 games. That was his first below average offensive year in a full season at the major league level.
The 33-year-old hitter signed with the Cubs on March 2, agreeing to a minor league deal and once he made the team his contract was worth $1.5 million for the 2024 season.
We’ll see what other move the Cubs make on Tuesday because right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski is also joining Mervis from Triple-A Iowa.
