Gage Workman Is The Superior Option To Vidal Bruján, Versatility Be Damned

[RandallPnkFloyd]

The Cubs' Rule 5 draft pick is establishing himself as a keeper in spring training. How far should the team be willing to go to keep him on the roster?

Image courtesy of Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images

The Chicago Cubs entered the spring exhibition slate with a steady backlog of bench options. This jam was the result not of legitimate options holding Major League track records, but of light-hitting, at-one-point-possessing-offensive-upside, versatile names sprinkled throughout the spring invites. 

That logjam was cleared up somewhat with the reassignment of Nicky Lopez to minor league camp over the weekend. Lopez is expected to pivot toward an opt-out in the coming weeks and explore other opportunities to nab a utility job. With that reassignment, though, we have a clearer picture of the bench group bound for Japan this week. 

Given the reassignment, it’s now a group that will include Rule 5 selection Gage Workman. With Carson Kelly, Jon Berti, and Justin Turner all already locked into bench spots, the Arizona State product had been battling the likes of Lopez and Vidal Bruján for a utility spot on the roster. To say nothing of outfield depth options like Travis Jankowski and Greg Allen.

While the slightly expanded rosters permitted upon the international contest will give the Cubs a longer runway to make their decision between Workman and, ultimately, Bruján, the decision to hold onto Workman for the immediate future speaks to not only his spring performance, but to the upside he possesses. 

To this point in the spring, Workman has turned in a .414/.455/.759/1.213 line across 33 plate appearances. He’s struck out at a 21.2 percent clip while walking 9.1 percent of the time. His ISO for the exhibition season checks in at a wild .345, with a pair of steals to compliment the power. In short, he’s been spectacular. A small sample, but very much worthy of praise given the context in which he’s performed (as a Rule 5 position player without an inning above Double-A to his name).

And make no mistake, this is a guy who does still possess offensive upside. He repeated Double-A in 2024 after making the transition from switch hitting to a full-time left-handed stroke. With the Tigers’ affiliate in Erie, his ’24 slash included a .280 average and .366 OBP, with a .197 ISO that was his highest since High-A back in 2021. The strikeout rate did remain high (27.5 percent), but came down off the 33.7 K% he’d posted between High-A & Double-A in 2023. 

The strikeouts remain the most damning component of his game. Contact becomes especially important when you’re talking about a bench bat operating within a smaller sample than a positional regular. When you consider his more recent string of success, though (which also included a decrease in the overall strikeout numbers), you have to consider Workman to be the more interesting bench option over his counterpart in Bruján. 

A veteran of parts of four separate Major League seasons, Bruján hasn’t come close to showcasing the same type of ability at the plate that Workman has in the last calendar year. He makes more contact overall, but when you combine a low quality of contact with heavy groundball tendencies, the two work to cancel each other out. It’s not as if he’s more of a threat on the bases, either. Despite three minor league seasons with over 40 swipes, Workman has three of at least 30 to his own credit. 

If there’s an advantage we could attach to Bruján, it’s that he’s played centerfield throughout his career. The Cubs have only Jon Berti who could step into the role should Pete Crow-Armstrong miss time for any reason. However, the team has also mixed Workman onto the outfield grass. One imagines his athleticism could suit him for the role in short stints as well as it could Bruján. 

The pitting of Workman against Bruján is simply due to the fact that one will be on the roster and the other will likely be out of the organization. Workman must be offered back to Detroit in the event the Cubs choose to cut him; Bruján is out of options and would have to clear waivers to be outrighted off the 40-man before heading to Iowa. It’s very much an either/or at this point. In any case, the choice between the two is becoming clear. 

Workman not only has more upside — he’s flashed it more recently. Bruján has had a decent enough exhibition campaign on both sides of the ball, but it’s been a minute since we’ve seen a shred of offensive upside from him. Especially given that he’s gotten actual run at the highest level in a way that Workman has not.

If there’s a chance for Workman to further cement his status as the better option, it could come in Tokyo. With Matt Shaw’s status up in the air given his delayed start to the spring, there’s an outside shot the Rule 5 pick could nab a start (or two) in his stead. While Workman has shown his chops at the plate against legitimate arms in Arizona, doing so on a big stage against one of the most threatening staffs in baseball could leave the Cubs without a question regarding their final roster spot.

View full article

[JunkyardWalrus]

Bold Prediction: Tater is the starting 3b come July. -JW