Trade: Cubs Acquire Vidal Brujan, Send Matt Mervis to Marlins

The Chicago Cubs have leaned heavily on the trade route so far this winter. With minor signings and Matt Boyd's contract as their small sample of work in free agency, their big fish, Kyle Tucker, was acquired via trade. Seemingly, the Cubs might make more trades in an effort to improve the team this winter. The Cubs made another trade on Sunday, sending 1B Matt Mervis to the Miami Marlins in exchange for utility-man Vidal Brujan. 

Brujan was once a top-100 prospect in baseball when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The middle infielder never found his footing offensively over three seasons in Tampa Bay, leading to a new home in 2024 with the Marlins. Brujan's numbers improved, but not dramatically. However, Brujan's versatility is his greatest asset to the Cubs. 

Over the course of the 2024 season, Brujan played every position on the diamond. Although most of his time was spent at shortstop, third base, and second base, he logged time at all three outfield spots, first base, and he even pitched. Brujan's ability to be a defensive Swiss Army knife improves the Cubs' bench, an area the team had not yet addressed this offseason before this move. 

As for Mervis, the slugging first baseman put up crazy numbers in the minors during the 2022 season, igniting loads of excitement about his potential future. However, in multiple small stints in the majors between 2023 and 2024, Mervis never found his footing as the team's first baseman of the future. Mervis slashed .155/.222/.259 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 36 MLB games with the Cubs. Once Michael Busch broke out as a rookie in 2024, the writing was on the wall for Mervis' future in Chicago.

At the end of the day, this trade accomplishes two things. For starters, the Cubs get a super-utility player in Brujan to add to their MLB bench. After the departures of Patrick Wisdom, Nick Madrigal, and others, the team needed to reload the depth on the bench. In addition, the Cubs give Matt Mervis a fresh start with a team who can give him the chance to play first base everyday in the majors in 2025.