8-year MLB veteran has been red hot since joining the Tides
*Cover Photo Credit: Skylar Prieto
Being back in the Minor Leagues is probably not what Garrett Cooper envisioned for this year. A veteran of eight Major League seasons with six of them coming with the Miami Marlins, the 33-year-old was released by the Boston Red Sox on June 14 after hitting just .171 with a .455 OPS in 24 games for them.
On June 25, the Orioles signed Cooper to a Minor League deal and assigned him to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides so he could work in at first base. Perhaps this is the ressurgence that he needed because since he has arrived to Harbor Park, he has been practically unstoppable.
Cooper has appeared in 9 games for the Tides and has gone 11-for-33 (.333) with a ridiculous .727 slugging percentage, which helps bolster a 1.177 OPS. He has collected 14 RBI while slugging 4 home runs in that brief 9 game sample size.
Cooper was also named the International League Player of the Week last week when he went 8-for-19 (.421) in 5 games against the Durham Bulls. That is when he hit those 4 homers, and he also drove in 10 runs while scoring 5 runs.
Honestly, that is enough said. Cooper must love that orange and Tides green because he is on a tear.
Cooper's great bat has certainly been a great addition to the Tides lineup, but what might be even greater is his veteran presence on a young team budding with young and ripe prospects and desiring big leaguers like Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. As previously mentioned, he has ton of MLB experience. He was once an everyday staple in the Marlins lineup. In 2019, he appeared in 107 games and hit .281 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. He even represented the Marlins at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. In 517 big league games, he is a lifetime .265 hitter with 459 career hits, 57 home runs, and 233 RBI.
The veteran big league presence is important for this Tides team, and Cooper is also able to share leadership duties with several other big league veterans including Niko Goodrum, a recent Minor League signee who has 7 years of MLB experience, and Dillon Tate, who was just optioned by the Orioles today.
Garrett Cooper has been a great addition to both the Tides and the Orioles organization. It will be tough for him to break through to the Orioles' 26-man roster. Being a corner infielder who works rimarily at first base, he is blocked by the reliable platoon team of Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O'Hearn. Nonetheless, his presence in the Tides' clubhouse and in their lineup will prove to be a major asset if he keeps swinging it the way that he is right now.
Tides fans, be sure you get out to Harbor Park to welcome your newest Tide, Garrett Cooper!
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