The New York Mets sent infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján outright to Triple-A Syracuse on June 18, two days after designating him for assignment, according to MLB's official transaction log.
MLB Trade Rumors, citing MLB.com reporter Anthony DiComo, reported that Bruján went unclaimed on waivers before the assignment. The move takes him off New York's 40-man roster while leaving open the possibility that he remains in the organization as depth.
Bruján Clears Waivers After June 16 DFA
The official MLB player transaction feed lists the first step on June 16, when the Mets designated Bruján for assignment. It then lists a June 18 outright from the New York Mets to the Syracuse Mets, the club's Triple-A affiliate.
Bruján has the right to reject the assignment and elect free agency, per MLBTR. That detail matters because he has already accepted one outright assignment with the Mets this season before being selected back to the major-league roster last month.
The 28-year-old appeared in nine games for the Mets this season and made only 13 plate appearances. MLBTR credited him with going 1-for-11 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt in that brief major-league sample.
Former Rays Prospect Becomes Mets Depth Piece
Bruján was acquired by New York from the Minnesota Twins for cash in January. He did not appear in a game for Minnesota, which had previously claimed him off waivers, and he has now appeared for six clubs across parts of six MLB seasons.
The switch-hitter was a top-100 prospect during his time in the Tampa Bay Rays system, but his major-league production has not followed the prospect track. MLBTR listed his career MLB line at .197/.266/.272 over 658 plate appearances.
There is still a reason teams keep circling back. Bruján can move around the infield and outfield, and MLBTR noted a .270/.352/.438 line in 254 Triple-A games. For the Mets, that profile now sits in Syracuse rather than on the active 40-man roster.
If Bruján accepts the assignment, the next step is simple: play his way back into a roster conversation. If he is not added back to the major-league roster before season's end, he would have the right to become a free agent as a player with more than three years of service time who has been outrighted.