Vidal

Brujan

Brujan, one of the few Cubs’ players expected to make the Opening Day roster who made the trip in this one, led off the game with a single off of Michael King. He then swiped second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch but the Cubs were unable to cash him in.For the spring, Brujan is hitting .229 (8-for-35) with a homer, three RBI and five stolen bases.

The Cubs have to trim down their roster a bit quicker than most teams as they’re traveling to Japan to open the season against the Dodgers on March 18. The biggest surprise here is Nicky Lopez, who had been expected to land a bench spot on the team’s Opening Day roster. That means that Vidal Brujan and Rule-5 selection Gage Workman should each travel with the team to Japan. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lopez ultimately get released and explore other opportunities elsewhere.

It’s not supposed to be a major problem, but we’ll see. With Alex Bregman no longer an option, Shaw is the clear favorite to serve as the Cubs’ third baseman. Alternatives include Jon Berti, Nicky Lopez, Vidal Bruján and Rule 5 pick Gage Workman.

Bruján gets traded a week after being designated for assignment. He’s now three years removed from being viewed as one of the game’s better infield prospects, and it’s just hard to see much upside here given his lack of power or defensive value. The 26-year-old has hit .189/.261/.270 in 550 major league plate appearances to date. Out of options, he’ll likely battle for the last spot on the Cubs’ roster in spring training.

This is definitely good for Mervis, who should get a chance to compete for at-bats at first base and DH next spring. His stock has taken a hit, though, given that he’s battled just .155/.222/.259 in 127 MLB plate appearances to date. He also disappointed in Triple-A last season after tearing it up there previously, and there’s a good chance he would have lost his spot on the Cubs’ 40-man roster at some point this offseason. Bruján, who, unlike Mervis, is out of options, was recently DFA’d by the Marlins. He can compete for a utility gig in Chicago, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wind up on waivers before spring training begins.

The Marlins needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to sign Eric Wagaman on Friday and unfortunately the 26-year-old former top prospect was the roster casualty. Brujan hit just .222/.303/.319 with two homers, 16 RBI, five stolen bases and a 54/25 K/BB ratio in 278 plate appearances with the Fish. He’s still talented enough that there’s probably another team willing to take a chance on him.

With Vidal Bruján and Derek Hill coming off the IL, there was no room for Hensley on the active roster. The 28-year-old has hit .212/.293/.288 in 23 games for the Marlins with one home run, one steal, and a 29.3 percent strikeout rate.

Bruján will return to the team after being placed on the IL on August 31st with an AC joint sprain; however, with how well Otto Lopez has been playing, Bruján could very well return to a bench role. David Hensley was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

No word yet on how long the Marlins’ expect Brujan to be sidelined for, but you’d think that Xavier Edwards (back) will be able to return and reclaim his starting spot before he’s able to return. Jose Devers was promoted from Triple-A Jacksonville to take his place on the active roster on Saturday.

It’s tough work carrying the Marlins offense. It sounds like Edwards might only miss the minimum, so he still might be a significant factor in fantasy leagues September. Vidal Bruján figures to see most of the time at shortstop for now.