Twins claim another infielder with a sub-.200 career average off waivers

The Twins continue to do most of their offseason work by digging in the scrap heap. They've claimed switch-hitting infielder Vidal Bruján off waivers from the Braves and designated utility man Mickey Gasper for assigment to make room on the 40-man roster.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/j2KCBcEzYD
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 14, 2026

Brujan, who turns 28 in a few weeks, is a career .199 hitter in the big leagues. That's an improvement from the last infielder the Twins claimed off waivers this offseason, Ryan Kreidler, whose MLB average is .138.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Brujan signed with the Rays as a 16-year-old international free agent in 2014. He was considered a top-100 prospect in baseball for several years and played in the All-Star Futures Game in 2021. But his prospect status hasn't turned into MLB production.

Brujan debuted for the Rays in '21 and went 2 for 26 across 10 games. He played in 52 games the following season and wasn't much better, hitting .163 with a sub-.500 OPS. Brujan did hit three home runs in that 2022 season, with his first career bomb coming off of the Twins' Devin Smeltzer. He then hit .171 in 37 games in 2023.

After 272 plate appearances of woeful offensive production with Tampa Bay, Brujan was traded to the Marlins in November 2023. He was at least slightly better with Miami in 2024, hitting .222 with a .622 OPS across 278 PAs. That's still very bad, but it was an improvement over his Rays numbers. Brujan was then traded again and began last season with the Cubs. He also spent time with the Orioles and Braves in 2025 after being DFA'd multiple times. Between the three teams, he hit .253 in 95 plate appearances.

In five years and 641 MLB PAs, Brujan has hit .199 with five home runs and a .543 OPS. That's a pretty decent sample size that suggests he's not a big league-caliber hitter.

So what's the upside for the Twins with this waiver claim? Brujan's most obvious positive trait is his speed. He's just 16 for 30 on stolen bases in the majors, but he does have 241 career steals in the minors, including 55 in 2018, 48 in 2019, and 44 in 2021. He's a versatile defender who can play three infield spots and has also seen time in the outfield. And maybe, just maybe, there's still something that can be unlocked in his bat, considering he's a career .286 hitter with a .799 OPS in the minors.

Brujan will compete for a spot on the Twins' roster in spring training.

Vidal Bruján home run gives Miami the lead! pic.twitter.com/m33o3STRg8
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 11, 2024

Gasper, 30, has put up big numbers in Triple-A over the last couple years but hasn't produced in the big leagues. He came to the Twins from the Red Sox in a trade for Jovani Moran last offseason. In 110 plate appearances with Minnesota, Gasper hit .138 with with two home runs and a .488 OPS.

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