TRADE: Cubs, Marlins Swap Former Top Prospects

He rocketed through the Chicago Cubs farm system in 2022, totaling 36 homers with a .984 OPS. But upon his arrival in the big leagues in 2023, slugging first baseman Matt Mervis has only proven that he hasn't figured out how to hit major league pitching. The Miami Marlins, however, are ready to take a chance on him, trading utilityman Vidal Brujan in an exchange of former top-10 prospects in their original organizations.

Trade news: The Chicago Cubs are acquiring utilityman Vidal Bruján from the Miami Marlins for first baseman Matt Mervis, sources tell ESPN. The deal is done. Both are former top 100 prospects looking to carve out at-bats in a new location.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 29, 2024

Mervis, now 26 years old, has batted just .155 in 36 MLB games, with a .481 OPS and an OPS+ of just 33, making him 67% worse than the average major league hitter. But in the minors? He has an .869 OPS and a .508 slugging percentage. The Fish will take their chances that they can cure his strikeout issues.

Brujan, 26, played every single position on the field except catcher in 2024 with Miami, and batted .222 with a .622 OPS and five stolen bases. He was ranked as high as the #3 prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays before going cross-state to Miami last season.

Through parts of four seasons in the majors, Brujan has just a .189 average with a .531 OPS across 201 games.