Marlins trade Bruján to Cubs for Mervis
The Miami Marlins acquired rookie first baseman Matt Mervis and cash from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for utility player Vidal Bruján, the teams announced.
The deal marks a change of scenery for a pair of former top prospects. Bruján ranked as high as No. 45 in the majors in 2020 on MLB.com's top 100 list while playing in the Tampa Bay Rays system. Mervis was never among the top 100 league-wide but had been ranked among the best prospects in the Cubs' system the last few years.
Mervis hit three home runs over 127 MLB plate appearances across the last two seasons. He spent most of 2024 at Triple-A Iowa, where he hit .235/.329/.434 in an injury-shortened season. However, the left-handed hitting slugger slashed .282/.399/.533 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs at Triple-A in 2023. The Cubs had hopes that he'd be their first baseman of the future before acquiring Michael Busch last offseason.
The 26-year-old will likely get the chance to play every day at first base in Miami. Utility player Jonah Bride, the Marlins' projected starter at first base before Sunday's trade, was the only player on their 40-man roster who's played the position in the majors. Rookie Deyvison De Los Santos, the team's projected Opening Day DH, has experience at first in the minors but has yet to make his big-league debut.
Originally signed by the Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Mervis is still classified as a rookie for the 2025 season and has one minor-league option remaining.
Bruján, who'll turn 27 in February, was originally acquired by the Marlins from Tampa Bay in a multi-player trade last November. He hit .222/.303/.319 with two homers and 16 RBIs across 102 games with the Marlins in 2024 before being designated for assignment last week.
Bruján has more big-league experience than Mervis, having played in 201 contests across four seasons with the Rays and Marlins. He has no minor-league options left but won't reach arbitration until 2026.
The switch-hitter adds some additional versatility to the Cubs' bench in 2025. While his primary positions are second base, right field, and shortstop, Bruján's made at least one appearance in the majors at every position but catcher. He'll likely compete with Luis Vazquez and Gage Workman in spring training for a bench spot.