4 Cubs Leaving Chicago in the New Year
By Jovan Alford
2/3. Gage Workman and Vidal Bruján
While Chicago’s outfield looks to be in good shape, the same thing can’t be said for their infield, which has a lot of question marks.
With the team trading away Parades in the Tucker deal, the Cubs do not have a starting third baseman at the start of 2025. Former first-round pick Matt Shaw could be in the running to take the job, but he’s not on the 40-man roster.
Therefore, Workman is the next best option for the Cubs, who they took in the Rule 5 draft last month. With the 25-year-old Workman being a Rule 5 pick, he must stay on Chicago’s 26-man roster all season.
With the 10th pick of the Rule 5 Draft, the @Cubs select shortstop Gage Workman, No. 29 on the Tigers' Top 30 Prospects list.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) December 11, 2024
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If things don’t work out for the big league club, Workman can’t be optioned to the minors without the chance of being offered back to the Detroit Tigers. Workman spent last season with Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, hitting .280 with 18 home runs and 89 RBI.
Workman hasn’t made his major league debut, so the idea of him making the Cubs’ big league roster is a tall task. However, he made 74 starts at third base and 47 at shortstop last season, making him the perfect depth piece for Chicago.
The Cubs acquired Bruján at the end of December from the Miami Marlins in the Matt Mervis trade. The 26-year-old utilityman is out of minor league options, but he will get a chance to compete for a bench spot with the big league club.
The Cubs today acquired IF Vidal Bruján from the Miami Marlins in exchange for IF Matt Mervis and cash considerations. The 40-man roster stands at 39 players.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) December 29, 2024
Welcome to Chicago, Vidal! pic.twitter.com/wSCSvdSoZ7
The former top-100 prospect has struggled mightily to start his MLB career. In his three years with the Tampa Bay Rays, Brujan hit a pedestrian .157 at the plate. Then he joined the Marlins for the 2024 season, where he showed some improvement.
The 26-year-old Brujan hit .221, while recording 18 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs in 102 games with the Marlins. He also played a variety of positions in Miami (shortstop, second base, third base, and all three outfield spots), which could help him make the 26-man roster out of spring training.
However, the former Rays’ prospect won’t have it easy as several other players will be looking to take a spot, including Workman, who we just mentioned.