Astros: 5 under-the-radar trade deadline candidates
By Drew Koch
Astros trade candidate: Garrett Cooper has been flying under the radar.
If there’s one trade candidate that is seems as if no one is talking about, it’s Garrett Cooper of the Miami Marlins. The 31-year-old has one more year of arbitration eligibility and has been getting on base with regularity this spring.
Cooper is slashing .282/.361/.429. Those are numbers the Astros might not be able to ignore given how poorly Yuli Gurriel has played in 2022. The veteran first baseman is in the final year of his two-year deal and his OPS is sitting at .623 through his first 45 games this season.
While he hasn’t seen any time there this season, Cooper can also play in the outfield. Having a versatile right-handed bat who’s on-base percentage is consistently above .340 might be too good to pass up if you’re the Astros.
As was mentioned earlier, the Miami Marlins are not in contention this season. The New York Mets are running away with the National League East Division and Miami will likely be sellers as the August 2nd trade deadline approaches.