In a swap of former top prospects hoping to carve out more significant roles, the Chicago Cubs acquired switch-hitting utilityman Vidal Bruján from the Miami Marlins on Sunday in exchange for first baseman Matt Mervis, sources told ESPN.
Cubs Bolster Infield Versatility
For the Cubs, adding the 26-year-old Bruján provides some much-needed flexibility and upside to their infield mix. The speedy Dominican originally came up as a shortstop in the loaded Tampa Bay Rays system but struggled to gain traction over parts of three seasons, slashing just .197/.270/.313.
However, Bruján still possesses intriguing tools that made him a consensus top-100 prospect as recently as 2021:
- Plus-plus speed: Bruján’s elite wheels allow him to wreak havoc on the bases and cover enormous ground defensively.
- Defensive versatility: In addition to shortstop, he has extensive experience at second base and all three outfield spots.
- Switch-hitting potential: While he’s scuffled from both sides in the majors so far, Bruján has shown the ability to hit for average and get on base throughout his minor league career.
The Cubs will hope that a change of scenery and more consistent opportunities can help Bruján finally put it all together at the highest level. With Dansby Swanson entrenched at short and Nico Hoerner locked in at the keystone, expect Bruján to fill a utility role while pushing youngsters like Luis Vazquez and Miles Mastrobuoni for backup infield reps.
Marlins Take a Flier on Mervis
From Miami’s perspective, rolling the dice on a potential impact bat like Mervis’ makes plenty of sense. The former undrafted free agent out of Duke rocketed up prospect boards after a monstrous 2022 campaign in which he clobbered 40 homers between High-A and Triple-A.
That prolific power output earned Mervis a cup of coffee with the Cubs late last season and an extended look this year, but the 26-year-old struggled mightily in both stints:
| Year | Games | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR |
| 2023 | 27 | .217 | .304 | .361 | 3 |
| 2024 | 85 | .198 | .281 | .337 | 9 |
While those surface stats certainly aren’t pretty, there’s reason to believe Mervis could still tap into his immense lefty pop in a more hitter-friendly environment. The Marlins evidently agree, as they’ll give him every opportunity to seize their wide-open first base job in spring training.
“Power is the last tool to show up consistently against major league pitching, and we think Matt has a chance to be a real force in our lineup for years to come.”
– Marlins GM Kim Ng
Jonah Bride, acquired from the A’s last winter, currently profiles as Mervis’ stiffest competition at first. But if the former Cub can harness his prodigious raw strength and make enough contact, he could easily emerge as the long-term answer at a position Miami has struggled to fill since trading Justin Bour in 2018.
Final Thoughts
As with any challenge trade involving post-hype players, time will tell which club truly “won” this transaction. Both Bruján and Mervis have flashed the talent to be quality regulars or better, but both are also reaching a point where they need to start producing to stick on a major league roster.
For the Cubs, sacrificing some offensive upside for a more dynamic and flexible bench option makes sense as they load up for what they hope will be a third straight postseason run. The Marlins, meanwhile, can afford to be patient with Mervis as they continue looking for long-term building blocks in a seemingly eternal rebuild.
All told, this represents a perfectly logical change-of-scenery deal for a pair of polarizing prospects at a crossroads. If nothing else, it hands Bruján and Mervis the fresh starts they sorely needed. Now we’ll see if either can finally make good on their once-lofty promise in a new uniform.
