MIAMI -- The Marlins acquired first baseman Matt Mervis and cash considerations for utility player Vidal Bruján on Sunday afternoon.
When Miami dealt Jake Burger to Texas at the Winter Meetings, that left Jonah Bride as the only first baseman with Major League experience starting at the position on the 40-man roster. With prospects Agustin Ramirez (MLB Pipeline's No. 96 overall) and Deyvison De Los Santos (Marlins No. 5 prospect) ending the 2024 season at the Triple-A level, the club needed another MLB-ready option.
TRADE DETAILS
Marlins get: 1B Matt Mervis, cash
Cubs get: UTIL Vidal Bruján
In Mervis, who turns 27 on April 16, the Marlins have done that and also added a change-of-scenery candidate.
The left-handed-hitting Mervis entered the 2023 season ranked as MLB Pipeline’s fourth-best first-base prospect after leading the Minors with 78 extra-base hits, 310 total bases and 119 RBIs while ranking second in doubles (40), third in homers (36), fifth in slugging (.605) and eighth in OPS (.984). He garnered multiple honors in the process, including the Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year and Arizona Fall League Rising Stars MVP.
But after climbing the Cubs’ organizational ladder as a COVID year non-Draft signing, Mervis’ success didn’t translate to the Majors, with a slash line of .155/.222/.259 with three doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs in parts of 36 games from 2023-24. When the Cubs traded for Michael Busch, it blocked Mervis’ path to consistent playing time at the MLB level and has left him with one Minor League option remaining.
According to MLB Pipeline’s 2023 scouting report, Mervis featured the best combination of power and contact in the Cubs’ system, and he took off when he improved his bat path and his swing decisions. However, Mervis struck out 105 times in 81 games at Triple-A Iowa this past season.
The switch-hitting Bruján, whom Peter Bendix acquired as part of his first trade as president of baseball operations last offseason, was another former top prospect seen as a reclamation project. Bruján finished with a .622 OPS and rarely played down the stretch before being designated for assignment on Dec. 20 to make room for free-agent signee Eric Wagaman.
The Marlins’ 40-man roster is now full after adding Mervis, who was college teammates at Duke with Griffin Conine.