The Los Angeles Dodgers shored up their infield depth with a trade that brought Miguel Rojas over from the Miami Marlins, giving them the defensive option they sorely needed up the middle.
The veteran is coming off of a down season in which hit .237/.282/.324 with a 73 wRC+, amassing a 1.2 fWAR over 140 games. Rojas recently provided insight into the injuries he sustained last year, and a second surgery was required on his right wrist to remove a bone growth.
While Rojas is back for a second stint with the Dodgers, he returns in a new uniform number. Rojas originally signed with the Dodgers in 2012, eventually making his MLB debut with the club in 2014, sporting No. 72.
Rojas’ rookie season wasn’t spectacular from an offensive standpoint, but it was his defense that played a key role in saving Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies.
During an appearance on Jomboy Media’s “The Chris Rose Rotation”, Rojas revealed he will wear No. 11 with the Dodgers but still has an affinity for when 72 was on his jersey:
“We’re going to do 11. The 19 is retired. I couldn’t wear it when I was a rookie either, so I wore No. 72. And I’m glad that I did it, because that’s going to be a number hanging up on my wall forever. I will never forget that No. 72 was my rookie year.”
Rojas spent the past eight seasons with the Marlins, becoming a mainstay throughout their long and slow rebuilding process. There’s something to say about his longevity and ability to stay with a team that has zero incentive to keep a veteran infielder around, except for his wealth of knowledge and consistent glove, two things the Dodgers will love to have around.
Rojas has graded out as a plus-defender per Fangraphs in every season in his Major League career, which will be fantastic for the Dodgers on two fronts.
The Dodgers had a need for a sure-handed infielder, which he will provide, and Rojas said he has already connected with Miguel Vargas and the two have plans to work together this offseason.
Rojas called Vargas a ‘young phenom’ and the fact a prospect wants to improve defensively speaks volumes of who he wants to become.
Miguel Rojas jersey numbers
After wearing No. 72 with the Dodgers in 2014, Rojas switched his jersey number to 19 with the Miami Marlins from 2015-2021. For the 2022 season, Rojas wore No. 11 to honor his grandfather who passed away.
The 33-year-old additionally wore No. 21 during the 2021 season for Roberto Clemente Day.
Manny Mota most notably wore No. 11 with the Dodgers, but the jersey number of late has also been donned by Jimmy Rollins (2015), Logan Forsythe (2017-2018), AJ Pollock (2019-2021) and Kevin Pillar (2022), among others.
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