The Marlins are set to accumulate first baseman Matt Mervis from the Cubs, in keeping with a report from Aram Leighton of Simply Baseball. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reviews that infielder Vidal Bruján is headed to Chicago in trade for Mervis’s providers. Brujan had been designated for project by the Marlins final week. Maddie Lee of the Solar Occasions additionally reviews that the Cubs are sending money to Miami alongside Mervis.
Mervis, 26, signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent again in 2020. After struggling in his first style {of professional} motion in 2021, the slugger tore up the minor leagues in 2022, slashing a superb .309/.379/.606 with 40 doubles and 36 homers in 137 video games throughout three ranges of the minors. That included a future of success on the Triple-A degree, the place he hit .297/.383/.593 with 15 doubles and 15 homers in simply 57 video games. The efficiency was sturdy sufficient to earn Mervis some top-100 prospect buzz in the course of the 2022-23 offseason, and his fast ascent by way of the minors supplied some optimism for a Cubs franchise that had not too long ago dealt longtime first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees previous to the commerce deadline in 2021.
Sadly, Mervis wasn’t in a position to benefit from his alternative when he first reached the large leagues in 2023. Whereas he continued to rake at Triple-A (.282/.399/.533 in 100 video games), he struggled badly in 99 large league plate appearances with a lackluster .167/.242/.289 slash line that was good for a 48 wRC+ that 12 months. Robust batted ball information and a .317 xwOBA indicated that Mervis might have been barely unfortunate in his first cup of espresso within the majors, however his hefty 32.3% strikeout charge would’ve been a big pink flag even when he had gotten higher fortune when it comes to batted balls discovering holes. That led the Cubs to pivot away from Mervis final winter, buying and selling for Dodgers prospect Michael Busch and putting in him because the membership’s on a regular basis first baseman.
Busch took off as an above-average hitter proper out of the gate with Chicago, posting a 119 wRC+ and a pair of.3 fWAR in his rookie season. Mervis, in contrast, appeared in simply 9 video games and posted a dreadful -4 wRC+ in that restricted enjoying time. Even his minor league numbers took a step again this 12 months, as he hit simply .235/.329/.434 (97 wRC+) in 81 video games at Triple-A this previous season. All this made Mervis fully expendable for Chicago, so the membership opting to commerce him is hardly a shock. With a rebuilding Marlins membership, the Triple-A slugger figures to get a bigger large league alternative than he ever obtained in Chicago. He’ll compete for taking part in time at first base with incumbent first baseman Jonah Bride, who impressed with a 123 wRC+ in 71 video games for the Marlins final 12 months however has but to finish a wire-to-wire season within the majors ate age 29.
Whereas Mervis is hardly a surefire large league piece, the Marlins are giving up little or no to land him. Bruján, 27, was DFA’d by the Marlins final week to clear 40-man roster area after he struggled to supply as a giant league common in 2024. As soon as a consensus top-100 prospect with the Rays, Bruján did not hit in any respect in 99 video games with Tampa throughout three seasons earlier than being dealt to Miami final winter. The Marlins made him a fixture of their bench combine this 12 months, however he hit simply .222/.303/.319 (73 wRC+) in 278 journeys to the plate. Regardless of that lackluster efficiency on the plate, Brujan did present some modest worth as an honest baserunner and a particularly versatile fielder. The switch-hitter largely cut up his time between shortstop, second base, and third base in Miami final 12 months however can be able to enjoying all three outfield spots and even made temporary cameos at first base and on the pitchers mound final 12 months.
That needs to be sufficient to earn Brujan the chance to compete for a bench job with the Cubs this spring. Chicago has fully overhauled their bench combine this offseason, parting methods with Christian Bethancourt, Mike Tauchman, Nick Madrigal, and Patrick Knowledge final month to make method for various choices. Carson Kelly joined the membership’s roster to type a tandem with Miguel Amaya that may occupy one bench spot, and outfielder Alexander Canario at the moment appears poised to behave because the membership’s reserve outfielder behind Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Kyle Tucker. That leaves two spots up for grabs, and Brujan at the moment seems poised to compete with Rule 5 draft choice Gage Workman and inside choices Miles Mastrobuoni and Luis Vasquez for these two spots, although one other exterior addition may definitely seize a minimum of a type of bench roles and solely the catching tandem seems to be fully locked in for 2025.
