JUPITER, Fla. — The news was music to Garrett Cooper’s ears.
The designated hitter is in the National League full-time as part of the new collective bargaining agreement after being a temporary measure during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The hit-first, defense-second Cooper was a big endorser of the designated hitter becoming permanent last year, but MLB opted to revert back to the normal lineup in 2021 — pitchers hitting in the National League, the designated hitter only in the American League.