The Braves are adding another layer of infield depth, agreeing to a minor league deal with Vidal Bruján, according to his transactions log at MiLB.com. Atlanta will send him to Triple-A Gwinnett as a depth option.
Bruján, 28, has been around the league quite a bit already. Since making his big league debut in 2021, he’s appeared in 271 games for six different clubs.
The bat has never really taken off. In 658 plate appearances, he’s hit .197/.266/.272 with a 53 wRC+.
His largest major league workload came in 2024 with the Marlins, when he logged 278 plate appearances and put up a 74 wRC+. He did manage better-than-average strikeout and walk rates that season, but the power never showed up.
This is technically a reunion for Atlanta. The Braves claimed Bruján off waivers from the Orioles in August 2025 and gave him 47 plate appearances in the stretch run of a lost season.
After that, he was designated for assignment in January, claimed by the Twins, and then quickly dealt to the Mets in a cash move. Bruján played in nine games for New York in May and June, but spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a 113 wRC+ and added 16 stolen bases.
Atlanta is expected to bring him to Spring Training, whenever it ends up happening, as a non-roster player. Ozzie Albies is set to return at second base after his $7MM club option was exercised. RosterResource currently lists Jim Jarvis as the Braves’ starting shortstop, and the club could still look to bring back Mauricio Dubon as a short-term answer after Jarvis posted a 57 wRC+ in his first season.
If Dubon doesn’t return and nothing else changes, Bruján could find himself in the mix for a bench spot as a utility piece. Second base has been his most common position in the majors, but he’s also logged more than 175 innings at shortstop, third base, and right field.
That last spot may be his strongest. In limited action there, Bruján has posted +8 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average.
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