1 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Hey, Marlins fans, Welcome to a new edition of Big 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: Fish Small Pod for Wednesday, April twenty fourth, twenty twenty four, 3 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: on the Fish on First podcast channel, presented by MPT 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: College Consulting. Elis Susman hosting this one for you. I 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: swear this is not an overreaction to Tuesday's humiliating shut 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: out Laws at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. This 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: idea was inspired several hours prior to that game when 8 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: an interesting transaction caught my eye from around the league. 9 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: An old friend suddenly available very early in the year, 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: and I think the fit for him to come back 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,599 Speaker 1: to the Marlins is absolutely there. So let's see if 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: you agree over these next ten minutes or so. The 13 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: Chicago Cubs designated Garrett Cooper for assignment Dfaid less than 14 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: a month into the season after signing a minor league 15 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: deal in the off season. Not far removed from being 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 1: a staple of the Marlins lineup, Cooper spent parts of 17 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: six big league seasons with the Marlins twenty eighteen to 18 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. He was, you, of course, remember, an 19 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: All Star selection in twenty twenty two. He had quite 20 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: a few ups. He was somewhat of a streaky player, 21 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: but for the most part, a reliably above average hitter 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: when he was actually on the field. That was always 23 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: the wrinkle with him. The complication is you never know 24 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: how often he'd be available, how durable he would be. 25 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: Last year, he did set career highs for playing time, 26 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,479 Speaker 1: and some of his counting stats, just on a rate basis, 27 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: didn't perform quite the way that we had come to 28 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: expect as the season went on. Last year, he'll recalled. 29 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: The Marlins traded him to the Padres on trade deadline day, 30 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: part of a three player trade that brought back Ryan Weathers, 31 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: which now in the Marlins rotation. Cooper finished last year 32 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: with the Padres and then this year with the Cubs. 33 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: Signed very very late in the offseason, and that was 34 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: part of the reason why he couldn't even get a 35 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: guaranteed deal, just because there was some question about whether 36 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: there would be sufficient roster spots available. He played well 37 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: in spring training, and he was playing pretty well for 38 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the Cubs the first few weeks of this season as well. Ironically, 39 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: his last games as a Cub were against the Marlins 40 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: this past weekend. He started all four games of that 41 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: series and didn't perform particularly well. That dragged down his 42 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: overall numbers. He went two for fourteen in those games, 43 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: he struck out six times. If you combine all his 44 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: numbers since leaving the Marlins, it's been a shade worse 45 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,399 Speaker 1: than what he had been as a Marlin. Fifty three 46 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: games with the Padres and Cubs only hit five home 47 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: runs in that time. The strikeout rate was a little 48 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: bit elevated, hit two forty seven with a seven thirty 49 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: seven OPS. If you want to narrow it down to 50 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: what he did with the Cubs overall, like that's eurally 51 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: perfectly in line with his career slash line. Cooper's career 52 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: slash line in the majors two sixty eight average, three 53 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: thirty seven on base percentage, four thirty five slugging, and 54 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: then this year of the Cubs in those twelve games 55 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: this year, two seventy three, forty one, four thirty two, 56 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: all those numbers within four points in each of those categories, 57 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: compared to his overall career averages a one point eighteen 58 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: w RC plus this year for Cooper, in his age 59 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: thirty three season, there was a bit of a logjam 60 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: in the corner infield spots for the Cubs. He's essentially 61 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: getting pushed out by Matt Murvis, who got some major 62 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: league playing time the year before, now is in dfa limbo. 63 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: Even though we signed a minor league deal. His base 64 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: salary was one point seventy five million dollars. Whoever potentially 65 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: acquires him from the Cubs would be responsible for whatever 66 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: remains of that salary here in twenty twenty four, So 67 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: by the time this process goes through, it will be 68 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: about one point five million that he's owed. It's only 69 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: doubled the major league minimum. It's a really small investment 70 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: for a guy that is not far removed from being 71 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: close to an everyday caliber hitter at first base and 72 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: DH positions. The fit with the Marlins, I think is 73 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: fairly obvious right now. Again, this is not an overreaction 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: only to Tuesday's game. It's not even an overreaction to 75 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: each of the last two games. The Marlins, as I'm 76 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: recording this, are riding a twenty ending scoreless streak or 77 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: scoreless droughts you may want to phrase it. And overall, 78 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: their offense really bad across the board, bottom five offense 79 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: in baseball to this point, especially being held back by 80 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: their propensity to hit grounders everything on the ground, that is, 81 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: batching a lot of big scoring opportunities and causing them 82 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: to underperform on balls in play. So far this season, 83 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: Cooper at times has been a high ground ball guy, 84 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: but actually the last couple of years not so much 85 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: right in line with the league averages in the low 86 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: forties percentile range for Cooper. Right now, the fit is 87 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: pretty apparent. You'll recall Jake Berger this year, he'd been 88 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: splitting time between third base and first base, allowing Josh 89 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: Bell to split time between first base and DH and 90 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: Berger at the very early portion of the season was 91 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: the Marlins best offensive player. He recently suffered a intercostal 92 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: strain that was nine ten days ago or so, and 93 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: as of what we know right now, he's still a 94 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: little while away from coming back. He's slowly ramping up 95 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: baseball activities. Even when that happens, he'll have to go 96 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: on some sort of minor league rehabit signment. There's no 97 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: definitive timetable for when Burger is going to come back. 98 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: He's obviously going to come back this season. He's going 99 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 1: to come back, I think, barring significant step sometime within 100 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: the next month or so. In the meantime, Marlins want 101 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: to avoid being humiliated on a nightly basis. Even if 102 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: we've reached the point here six and nineteen through the 103 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: first twenty five games, like, there's a whole lot of 104 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: smoke that says that they're just not going to be 105 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: contending this year. So you're probably maybe wondering why it 106 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: is that, why is it even worth it to grab 107 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: a guy who is on a one year deal that 108 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: is in we would think, in the declinent phase of 109 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: his career at this point. And I mean the point 110 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: is he was a nice part of this not only 111 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: a significant contributor to a couple competitive teams in Miami, 112 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: but also a good clubhouse culture guy, somebody that enjoyed 113 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: being in Miami. And I think when things are going 114 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: this bad for your team, making any sort of change 115 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: can be rejuvenating, even if it's not going to turn 116 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: around your entire season. And Cooper is just not far 117 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: removed from having some really impressive hot streaks where he 118 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: can put the team on his back for a series 119 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: at a time, and that's what they definitely need right now. 120 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,119 Speaker 1: Since Jake Berger went out, the corresponding move was to 121 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: call up Otto Lopez, and again I reiterate I'm not 122 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: overreacting to one game, but Otto Lopez really put himself 123 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: in the doghouse. On Tuesday night, he committed a we 124 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: turned what should have been a double play into no 125 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: outs on a routine error at third base that led 126 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: to a couple runs scoring for the Braves. And then 127 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: the very next ending he comes up to the plate 128 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: and he grounds into a double play hitting a ball 129 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: that was very much like the one that he failed 130 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: to field on his own. Lopez himself was a waiverclaim 131 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: who hasn't done much in the big leagues. He's not 132 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: a top prospect. He's not a part of the Marlins future. 133 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: He is a prototypical quad a player that might be 134 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: being generous. That is a pretty a spot where they 135 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: can obviously upgrade and bring in somebody like Cooper as 136 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,119 Speaker 1: just a dramatically higher ceiling as a player right now. 137 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: It would allow Josh Bell to continue to get a 138 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: lot of DH time. It would allow Josh Bell to 139 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: get an occasional day off. He has played each of 140 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: the twenty five Marlins games, started all twenty five, and 141 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: he is really underperformed and even as an iron man 142 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: who takes pride in his availability when you have somebody 143 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: like Cooper around, and that actually gives him an opportunity 144 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: to take up breather and maybe get back on track 145 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: and try to salvage make sure that his season isn't 146 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: a carbon copy of last year where Bell was not 147 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: wanted by his former team in Cleveland when he was 148 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: traded over to the Marlins, so that could help. And 149 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: just to be more precise, if you have Cooper in 150 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: the lineup at first base, especially against left handed pitching, 151 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: then you have a Manuel Rivera playing third base, and 152 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: that has been his better defensive position as compared to 153 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: first you have Otto Lopez squeeze off the roster to 154 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: make all this work. As I'm recording this, we anticipate 155 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: Christian benfen Courts coming back from the injured list. The 156 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: Marlins will send down a catcher anyway in Johnny Pareda, 157 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: but they might as well designate him for assignment to 158 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: clear a forty man spot in order to claim Garret 159 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: Cooper in the first place. So that's how all that 160 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: math goes. Where you're able to bring back a familiar 161 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: face on a relatively low salary, somebody that has a 162 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: clearer fit in your lineup on a mostly everyday basis 163 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: for the near future. And you're not gonna lose anybody 164 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: because Johnny Parreeda is going to clear waivers and Auto 165 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: Lopez if something magically clicks while he's down in triple A, 166 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: you can always bring up later in the year when 167 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: Berger gets back. Hope it's only a few weeks away. 168 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: Then you have a good problem on your hands. If 169 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: Josh Bell is performing more like his difficult self, if 170 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: Cooper is at least playing as well as he was 171 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: with the Cubs prior to the DFA, and the Burger 172 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 1: is healthy, and if Avi Garcia is contributing in some 173 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,599 Speaker 1: minor way, then you have the guys that are a 174 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: little bit redundant, a lot of right handed power bats 175 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: that don't offer much outside of their slugging when they're 176 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: on top of their game, and so yeah, they'll be 177 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: a decision to make when the time comes. You kind 178 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: of hope that the Marlins have those kind of decisions 179 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: to make on the offensive side, just considering how bad 180 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: things are going, especially against left handed pitching. Max Freed 181 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: reminded them of that on Tuesday Night. This has been 182 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: a theme throughout the entire season at this point, even 183 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: if there is not a emphasis on putt together a 184 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 1: there's not going to be a desperation to transform this 185 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: team all of a sudden and salvage the twenty twenty 186 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: four seeds and sneak back into the wild card race. 187 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: Even if that is unrealistic, there's still a lot of 188 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: value to bring in somebody that you know and that 189 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: you trust, and that has real upside if he gets 190 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: back into a comfortable situation again. So just taking it 191 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: one step at a time. When things are going this badly, 192 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: you really do have to slow it down, taking one 193 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: move at a time. I think this would be a 194 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: big positive with very minimal risk. Let's see what other 195 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: teams go after Cooper as well. Others will have a 196 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: chance to claim him off of waivers, and I imagine 197 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: that there could be more than one that will do so, 198 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: considering what he's accomplished and how little of a risk 199 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: it is to bring him in the first place. Let 200 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: me know what you think. When I put this out 201 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: on Twitter, I did see some very fair counter arguments 202 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: against going out there and claiming Cooper off of waivers. 203 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: Perhaps instead putting your trust in internal options, and I 204 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: am open to that as well. But to me, this 205 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: seems just like a fairly obvious move to make. Really, 206 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: the only question is whether you're actually successful in that 207 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: waiver claim. But yeah, I think the stars have aligned 208 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: where this reunion that might have thought was possible eventually, 209 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: just not so early in the season. I think it 210 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: makes sense for both sides, and I hope it does 211 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: come together for the sake of something to shake up 212 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: the monotony of this awful first twenty five games of 213 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: the season. This has been Ela Sessman on The Small 214 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: pod Fish on First Podcast Channel. Make sure you're subscribed 215 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: to US rate and review, and go to MPT Collegeconsulting 216 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: dot com for a free consultation.