Twins Claim Utility Man Vidal Brujan from Braves; Mickey Gasper DFAd

[Dman]

Not sure how I feel about this one.  Kind of hate losing a guy with options for a guy without options, but Gasper doesn't really fit this team all that well.  He's not a great catcher and the Twins don't seem to view him as a future first baseman.  He hasn't been able to hit Major league pitching to this point, but he has the AAA numbers that make you think he could\should make it at the MLB level. I'm guessing he'll get claimed.

Brujan clearly has more versatility than Gasper, but with no options left I can't see them keeping both him and Kreidler on the 26 man.  Kreidler does have an option left so if Brujan looks like the better bet maybe they send Kreidler down? Or maybe they plan to try and sneak Brujan through at a later date.

Not sure how to view this one other than it would have made more sense to keep Fitzgerald IMO.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

We got rid of Gasper?  Wow!  Great trade!  Oh, and we got a guy?  Even better.  

I know it wasn’t actually a trade but was effectively one for a guy who may not inspire but whose profile fits the team’s needs better than Gasper.  Not amazing but tinkering like this is valuable if you can get it right.

 

[farmerguychris]

This move accomplishes nothing other than an extra body some of our young guys will have to wait for before they can try to develop in the majors as a 4th or 5th place team in the Central.

[#3Killer]

OMG- talk about getting the fans fired up. Can we make a rule not to add anyone that can’t bat above the Mendoza Line???? All we can add is versatile scrubs who cant hit their weight. This is contending???? BUILD A BULLPEN!!!!!!!

[jkcarew]

31 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Every team makes these kind of moves

The issue is many clubs also maintain a truly competitive top half of the roster, as well.

Nobody cares about the bottom of the 40-man roster when the top half figures to be irrelevant. Human nature. Nobody cares about the difference between (for instance) 74 and 76 wins. It only matters when you’re talking about the difference between 90and 92 wins and/or an extra win somewhere in the playoffs.

This organization has not (by a county mile) done anything for a very long time that would warrant these types of moves being perceived as anything other than total nothing-burgers. At best.

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

[Nashvilletwin]

Tough Talkin’ Tom strikes again.

What a complete joke…..

[Doc Lenz]

2 hours ago, SteveLV said:

Still pursuing their quest to accumulate ALL the sub .200 hitters possible on their roster.

We got another one!

But we dropped one too.

[Jacksson]

Why Gasper instead of Julian?  Doesn't Gasper have options? And defensive positions.

[Vanimal46]

[Doug Y]

Wow! The Pohlad’s are going to lose so much money again after this upcoming 60 win season, they will have to put the team up for sale again, then take it off the market again, and then find investors to pull them out of the debt because no fans will come to watch the games

[Patzky]

3 hours ago, JBK said:

See ya Mick!!

Clearing number 11 for Walker Jenkins

 

[D.C Twins]

[D.C Twins]

 "He got time with the Cubs, the Orioles, and then the Atlanta Braves. Prior to 2025, he spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, and he played in 102 games for the Miami Marlins in 2024. "

"the Minnesota Twins announced that they claimed utilityman Vidal Brujan"

(Checks Card...)

[jorgenswest]

As a prospect Vidal Brujan had the kind of top flight status I am expecting to get in return for a Joe Ryan. Brujan peaked in 2019 and an FV60 with Fangraphs. The reality of Major League Baseball is that even the top flight prospects often don’t make it. It looks like he can play SS with a -4 career OAA and a +4 career DRS and really anywhere in the outfield or infield. He can run bases. I don’t think the 2018 minor league Brujan with a wRC+ of 150 and 55 stolen bases exists anymore but maybe a bench bat with positional flexibility that can run and has enough bat to put up a wRC+ in the 80s is there. 

[D.C Twins]

"He has some speed. He's stolen 16 bases, but he's been caught 15 times. "

This made me laugh the hardest... the average caught stealing rate is ~30%..... so tell me he should not be getting many green lights without telling me.

[D.C Twins]

2 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

We got rid of Gasper?  Wow!  Great trade!  Oh, and we got a guy?  Even better.  

I know it wasn’t actually a trade but was effectively one for a guy who may not inspire but whose profile fits the team’s needs better than Gasper.  Not amazing but tinkering like this is valuable if you can get it right.

 

If 'profile fits the team needs' means a slightly better chance of winning 66 games than 65, then sure.... super....ummm... 'valuable'

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

95 OPS+ to finish up last season. Possibly the best defensive SS we have now? Idk, trying to find positives 

[Mahoning]

Can we imagine a day, not too far distant, when the hundreds at Target Field see Kreidler, Outman, Jackson, and Brujan in the lineup at the same time? That's four guys who have absolutely proven they can't hit major league pitching. Then imagine, say, Joe Ryan trying to win a ballgame and the steam coming out of his ears. Derek Falvey's "next big push" rolls inexorably on.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

6 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

He will be moved off the 40 man roster after we sign Kyle Tucker this week. 

[ashbury]

Bad Major Leaguers™:

[theBOMisthebomb]

Mickey can go light up AAA pitching for another organization. 

[Greglw3]

6 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

Would I trade Mickey Gasper for Vidal Brujan. Yes I would.

 

5 hours ago, Eris said:

From FanGraphs. WRC+ of 75. Below average both offensively and defensively. A utility play who can’t hit should at least be able to play defense. Not sure I understand this move at all. 

For me, it’s simple. Brujan had a .253 batting average.. Gaspar 158. I believe low batting averages, Cave, Outman, Gaspper, Clemens, Gallo, Wallner, Kepler have hurt the Twins egregiously in recent years. Brujan hit .268 vs L. If he’s in the lineup, that’s one step toward correctng the lineups of the last 2 years where there were sometimes 4 and 5 players batting .19x or low .200s. And they just made outs and rolled through 5-6-7, even 9 innings without scoring. Wagaman helps too cause he hit .283 vs L and .250 overall and Bell .265 ish vs R w 18 HR.

[KirbyDome89]

2 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

"He has some speed. He's stolen 16 bases, but he's been caught 15 times. "

This made me laugh the hardest... the average caught stealing rate is ~30%..... so tell me he should not be getting many green lights without telling me.

Don't worry, he won't be on base enough for any of us to worry about which color the light is...

[AceWrigley]

Looking at Brujan's stats, he's increased his batting average and OPS+ every season. At least the dude is trending in the right direction.

[DocBauer]

While I'm not crazy about him being a 40 man add, and I doubt he suddenly turns in to a decent ML hitter at age 28, St Paul needs some additional help/depth as well. He's actually been a pretty productive player as a MILB player. 

At some point, someone will be injured and someone will need to be a fill in. I think he's probably a better option than Arcia. I still think Tanner Schobel will help the team at some point in 2026 in a utility role, but you do temporary help from time to time. So while I would have liked a better option to have been signed, as a bottom of the 40 man addition, I'm "meh" on his addition. I just hope he's not pressed in to any sort of extended duty. 

[palmspringstwinsfan]

The next move is adding back Fitzgerald and getting rid of Vidal. 

[Wizard11]

Why did they not just keep Fitzgerald and DFA Gasper?

[rv78]

Falvey continues to improve the roster incrementally. I'm impressed. So far the Saints are looking much better.............. at the cost of the Twins. Now if they can get Gasper through waivers and put him back in St Paul they'll have another AAA bat that plays well there. 

By the way, is there someone around anywhere, Bueller maybe? that could tell Falvey to try to improve the major league roster too?

[TroyVang]

His nickname should be "The Witch," since that's what his name (roughly) translates to.