Earlier this offseason, the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins completed a trade involving a pair of former top 100 prospects.
The Marlins received first baseman Matt Mervis, whom they were hoping would add some thump to the middle of their lineup. The Cubs added Vidal Bruján, a utility player with loud tools but limited major league production.
Now, the Marlins have designated Mervis for assignment, ending his tenure in Miami. Likewise, the Cubs have only given Bruján 18 plate appearances all season — and none since May 20. It appears both sides are ready to admit they lost the trade.
My understanding is the Marlins have several roster moves ahead of this weekend’s home series against the Giants. Those will include both Infielders Matt Mervis and Ronny Simon being designated for assignment.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) May 30, 2025
Matt Mervis DFA'd by Marlins, Vidal Bruján not playing for Cubs
Mervis was a frequent back-end find on pre-2023 top prospect lists following an absurd 2022 season in which he hit 36 home runs, slashed .309/.379/.606, and climbed three levels in a single season. He got the call to the majors early in the 2023 season, but he's just never been able to replicate his minor league success in limited exposure.
In just 116 at-bats in Chicago, Mervis batted a pitiful .155 with a ghastly .481 OPS, numbers that simply don't hold up in the big leagues, especially for a middling defensive first baseman. Unfortunately, he wasn't any better in Florida, slashing .175/.254/.383 across 42 games (120 at-bats). He did it seven home runs, tapping into more of his prolific power, but it's clear that the Marlins are better off letting Eric Wagaman handle full-time cold corner duties.
As for Bruján, the versatile infielder was acquired with the intention that he would offer the Cubs a lot of roster flexibility, but he simply isn't playing for manager Craig Counsell.
Prior to the offseason trade, he stepped to the plate 550 times over parts of four seasons, with five home runs and a .189/.261/.270 batting line. He's been slightly better in very limited duty this year, but he continues to show off little power and waning patience at the plate.
Even when top prospect Matt Shaw was sent down to the minors after a rough start to his big league career, it was Jon Berti, Justin Turner, and the since-released Gage Workman who handled the majority of the third base reps. Bruján's speed and defensive versatility is valuable, but he's evidently not going to receive playing time barring a cataclysmic wave of injuries.
So, in effect, this ended up being a minor trade with very minimal ramifications on both teams. That doesn't mean it was a bad deal — both teams needed what the players they received hypothetically offer, and it was an upside play by both franchises — it was just one that didn't work out.
The Cubs and Marlins should still be commended for trying to salvage the careers of two former top prospects. These are the kinds of low-risk, high-reward moves every MLB team should be making in an effort to improve their roster at the margins.
Just let this serve as a reminder that something being low-risk doesn't mean it's likely to work out.