New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns loves the idea of collecting former top prospects who haven’t quite figured it out yet, treating the waiver wire and the trade market like a scratch-off ticket habit he just can’t quit. The latest addition to the pile is Vidal Bruján, a guy who once looked like a future All-Star in the Rays system but has spent the last two years bouncing around the league like a pinball.
Late Thursday, the Mets sent some cash to the Minnesota Twins to bring Bruján to Queens. It’s a low-stakes gamble, sure, but it speaks volumes about how this front office views the bench. Minnesota had just grabbed him from Atlanta a week ago before deciding they’d rather have Tristan Gray. One man’s trash is another man’s “organizational depth,” and for Stearns, Bruján is a high-speed Swiss Army knife with a broken blade.
The Speed is Real but the Bat is Cold
Bruján is exactly the kind of player who makes scouts drool and managers pull their hair out. He has stolen over 40 bases in multiple minor league seasons, and as recently as 2023, he was playing well in Triple-A with a 107 wRC+ and 10 home runs. The problem is that once he sees a major league slider, everything falls apart. A career 54 wRC+ across 645 plate appearances is a neon sign screaming that he hasn’t adjusted to big-league pitching.
Last year was a chaotic tour of the National and American Leagues. Bruján suited up for the Cubs, Orioles, and Braves, eventually finishing with a .253 average in a tiny 95-plate-appearance sample. He did show a pulse in Atlanta, hitting .268 down the stretch, but the Braves still didn’t see enough to keep him on the 40-man. He is out of minor league options, which means Stearns is playing a dangerous game of roster chicken.
Filling the Acuna-Sized Gap
This move didn’t happen in a vacuum. The Mets just shipped Luisangel Acuña to the White Sox in that massive deal for Luis Robert Jr., leaving a glaring hole in the “fast guy who plays everywhere” department. Acuña was essentially the same player—plus speed, elite versatility, but a questionable bat. By swapping him for Robert, the Mets upgraded their starting lineup but gutted their middle-infield insurance.
Bruján is the cut-rate replacement. He can play every defensive position except catcher and first base, which is a manager’s dream when the dog days of July hit. With Francisco Lindor and new additions like Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien likely logging heavy innings, the Mets don’t need a superstar utility man. They just need someone who won’t trip over his own feet when he gives a starter a day off.
The Spring Training Scramble
The battle for the final bench spot is going to be the most underrated storyline in Port St. Lucie. You have Ronny Mauricio another year removed from surgery, and while he has more upside in his pinky than Bruján has in his whole body, Mauricio needs to play every day to rediscover his rhythm. Keeping Mauricio on the bench to pinch-run twice a week is a waste of a top-tier talent.
Sending Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse to get 500 at-bats makes way more sense than forcing him into a part-time role. That leaves the door wide open for Bruján to secure the utility gig. If he shows even a hint of that 2023 Triple-A form during the spring, he’s the logical choice to hold down the fort. Stearns knows that in a long season, you don’t win with just 26 guys; you win with the 40th guy on the roster who can actually contribute.