The New York Yankees hoped to have Anthony Rizzo as their full-time first baseman this season, but now that the 34-year-old suffered a forearm fracture, the Bronx Bombers need to make other plans. Rizzo is expected to miss roughly two months with his injury, and while 25-year-old prospect Ben Rice can fill in as much as possible, the Yankees want to bring in a contingency plan too.
While it’s never fun to lose a talented player to injury, the Yankees do at least have plenty of time to try filling the void at first base. The MLB trade deadline doesn’t arrive until July 30. There are several options available. Yet, there’s some belief that the Yankees could try another method to improve the roster.
According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Yankees are one of several teams considering signing former All-Star first baseman Garrett Cooper. The 33-year-old recently became a free agent after being released by the Boston Red Sox following a tumultuous tenure, where Cooper was hitting just .171 across 24 games.
However, Cooper did get off to a much stronger start to his season when he was with the Cubs, hitting .270 across his first 12 games. Despite a respectable battling line, the Cubs ended up trading Cooper to Boston in an effort to increase playing time for Michael Busch and Mike Tauchman.
In addition to his normal duties at first base, Cooper can also handle right field if needed. Either way, the 6-foot-5 slugger could bring another potentially dangerous bat to the Yankees’ lineup at a time of need.
Related: New York Yankees reportedly very interested in trade for high-upside pitcher
