Garrett Cooper Wishes This Happened After Trade To Red Sox

Garrett Cooper joined the Red Sox at a pretty ironic juncture.

Cooper arrived in Boston via trade April 27, the day of the middle game between Boston and Chicago at Fenway Park over the weekend. The deal was set in motion four days earlier when the Cubs designated the 2022 All-Star for assignment.

The veteran first baseman didn't make his Red Sox debut until Tuesday night. But if he had it his way, his first game in a Boston uniform would have been against his former club.

"Would have been nice to come in here and face the team that DFA'd me," Cooper told reporters before the Red Sox's series opener against the Giants, per MassLive.

Cooper's first game with Boston proved to be a mixed bag for the 33-year-old. While the Red Sox got back in the win column with a shutout victory over San Francisco, Cooper was forced to leave the contest in the fifth inning after taking a pitch to the hand. But fortunately for the eighth-year pro, he appears to have "dodged a bullet" and avoided a serious injury.

It remains to be seen if Cooper will be in the Red Sox lineup Wednesday night. NESN's complete coverage of the middle game against the Giants begins at 6 p.m. ET.