The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their infield depth last offseason by acquiring Miguel Rojas in a trade from the Miami Marlins last offseason, which was necessary after Trea Turner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The trade marked a reunion as Rojas spent his rookie campaign with the Dodgers in 2014. While L.A. initially intended to have him fill a utility role, the 34-year-old became the starting shortstop after Gavin Lux suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee during Spring Training.
Rojas appeared in 124 games for the Dodgers this year, hitting .236/.290/.322 with 16 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 31 RBI over 423 plate appearances. It was one of his worst offensive seasons, but he still provided value with his glove and appeared at four different positions.
After reaching 100,000 followers on Instagram, Rojas thanked both supporters and critics for motivating him to improve each day.
Barring an offseason trade, Rojas will return to the Dodgers in 2024. Shortly after rejoining the team last January, he signed a one-year, $6 million contract extension that includes a club option and buyout for 2025.
With Lux expected to return from injury and the possibility of offseason additions, Rojas will likely be relegated to a utility role next year.
Miguel Rojas was 2023 Fielding Bible Award finalist
Rojas finished fifth among shortstops in voting for the 2023 Fielding Bible award, behind the Chicago Cubs’ Dansby Swanson, who was voted the unanimous winner, and Willy Adames (Milwaukee Brewers), Ezequiel Tovar (Colorado Rockies), Anthony Volpe (New York Yankees).
Rojas played 953.2 innings at shortstop and committed just six errors, giving him a .986 fielding percentage. He recorded 143 putouts and 281 assists, along with turning 58 double plays.
By FanGraphs defensive metrics, Rojas had 12 defensive runs saved and an ultimate zone rating of 1.3, or 2.4 per 150 innings. Both numbers placed him inside the top-10 of shortstops.
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