MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced they have acquired first baseman Matt Mervis and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Vidal Bruján.
Mervis, 26, entered the 2024 season ranked as the Cubs’ No. 15 prospect by MLB Pipeline and slashed .235/.329/.434 (71×302) with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 43 RBI and a .763 OPS in 81 games with Triple-A Iowa. The first baseman also appeared in nine games with the Cubs in 2024, batting .115 (3×26) with one double and three RBI. A Washington, D.C. native, Mervis made his Major League debut on May 5, 2023 vs. Miami and batted .167 (15×90) in 27 games during his first stint in the Majors.
The left-handed slugger has 90 doubles, 82 home runs, and 284 RBI in 390 games over his Minor League career (2021-24) with the Cubs. In 2023, he had a .282/.399/.533 slash line (102×362) with Triple-A Iowa, with 23 doubles, 22 home runs and 78 RBI. Mervis was named the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2022, posting a .984 OPS with 36 home runs and 119 RBI in 137 games across three levels (High-A South Bend, Double-A Knoxville, and Triple-A Iowa) and was the lone player in Minor League Baseball with at least 35 home runs and 40 doubles that season. Also in 2022, he was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star, Arizona Fall League Rising Star, and the AFL Rising Stars MVP. During his first professional season in 2021, he split time between Single-A Myrtle Beach (69 games) and Triple-A Iowa (3 games).
Mervis was originally signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on June 6, 2020, coming off four seasons at Duke University in Durham, N.C. A two-way player in college, Mervis was teammates with Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine, during the 2017-18 seasons at Duke. Before making his Major League debut, Mervis participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Team Israel, playing in four games during Pool D play at loanDepot park.
Bruján, 26, was designated for assignment by Miami on December 20 after appearing in a career-high 102 games with Miami last season and batting .222 (55×248) with a .622 OPS and five stolen bases. He also set career highs in runs (32), hits (55), doubles (14), triples (2), and walks (2), while tying his career high with 16 RBI. Of his 102 games, he made 68 starts: 25 starts at shortstop, 22 at third base, nine in center field, eight at third base, and four in right field.
With today’s move, the Marlins 40-man roster now stands at 40.
