Two former Cubs infielders are heading into the winter as minor-league free agents, with Miles Mastrobuoni and Vidal Brujan both electing free agency, according to the MiLB transactions log.
It’s the kind of move that fits the lower half of the free-agent market, the tier that sits well below the winter’s biggest names. Tarik Skubal and impact bats like Seiya Suzuki figure to dominate the headlines, but Brujan and Mastrobuoni are now on the hunt for new organizations after being outrighted off their respective 40-man rosters.
Brujan’s time in Chicago was brief and unproductive at the plate. The Cubs got him in Dec. 2024 when they sent slugging prospect Matt Mervis to the Miami Marlins.
He spent much of the first half of the 2025 season as a bench piece for Craig Counsell, mostly at third base, but the offense never came around. In 47 plate appearances, he hit .222/.234/.289 with a 48 OPS+ before being designated for assignment in late July to clear space for catching prospect Moises Ballesteros.
From there, Brujan bounced around. He quickly landed with the Baltimore Orioles organization and later spent time with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. With the Mets, he appeared in nine games this year and spent most of his time at Triple-A, where he posted an OPS north of .800.
Mastrobuoni’s path has been different, but the profile is familiar. He saw a decent amount of big-league time over the last two years with Seattle, though his 2026 season went in the wrong direction. Like Brujan, he was more productive at Triple-A than in the majors, and the same basic description still applies: he brings defensive versatility, and whatever he gives you offensively is a bonus.
Mastrobuoni made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to Chicago that offseason. Both players should find new homes this winter, but the market for each is likely limited to minor-league deals, given the lack of regular production they’ve shown in the majors.
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