MESA, Ariz. — Coming into camp, Vidal Bruján knew that he wanted to showcase his ability to run. And the Cubs coaching staff was in lockstep with him.
“Just letting him be free and show what he can do,” third base coach Quintin Berry said. “Because I think there’s so much in there that the stats won’t tell you from his past.”
The Cubs notified Bruján on Tuesday that he was making the trip to Japan with the team, as they made a series of decisions on their bench.
The work paid off,” Bruján said through the team interpreter.
Acquired from the Marlins this winter for first baseman Matt Mervis, Bruján was a change-of-scenery candidate — even though his year in Miami was a new setting, after he came up in the Rays organization.
With that clean slate, Bruján has so far painted a promising picture.
“Brujan has seemingly — maybe it’s cliché — but he’s coming home with a dirty uniform every single day he’s played,” manager Criag Counsell said earlier this month. “And that means he’s been on the bases, he’s been stealing bases, scoring runs. That means he’s getting base hits, walks, played all over the field. He’s had a fabulous spring thus far.”
Bruján pointed to the “trust” the Cubs have had in him as a separating factor.
One area where that’s been especially clear has been on the basepaths. He’s enjoyed having the green light in spring training with the Cubs — which didn’t seem to be the case with the Rays while he was acclimating to the league.
“It’s more like a quickness for him, not necessarily a speed,” Berry said. “He’s just really, really quick. And so, it’s the ability to go first to third in somebody’s face; you don’t really know what he’s going to do. Contact plays, he can score for us. So it’s just many different ways that he can use that quickness to his advantage and to help our team put runs on the board.”
Bruján hasn’t stolen more than five bases in a season, which he accomplished in 52 games in 2022 with the Rays and in 102 last season with the Marlins.
He’s recorded four stolen bases this spring, tied for the most in the Cactus League through the Cubs’ game Monday afternoon.
“I see it as a way to keep the spark alive,” Bruján said of being aggressive on the basepaths.
From Berry’s point of view, the next step for Bruján baserunning-wise is simply playing. And Berry doesn’t plan on being in Bruján’s ear every time he makes an out.
“When you have a guy trying to be more aggressive and showcase his speed and what he can do on basepaths, you can only kill a guy like that if you start … trying to overcoach and not letting him get out there and see what he can do.He’s gonna learn from the mistakes he makes, and then he’s going to find out he can do more.”
Bruján is one of three utility men on the roster, along with Jon Berti and Gage Workman. Because the Cubs don’t have any strict platoons — although it’s unclear how they’ll handle third base this year — having defensively versatile players on the bench allows Counsell to get the most out of the roster.
If the Cubs don’t bring Kevin Alcántara to Japan — it’s down to him and Shaw for the last position-player spot on the active roster — Bruján’s ability to play in the outfield becomes that much more important for depth purposes.
“Going to Japan for the first time is such a blessing,” Bruján said. “I’m super happy.”
