Miguel Rojas

Rojas took hold of the primary shortstop role for the Dodgers last season after youngster Gavin Lux went down with season-ending ACL and LCL tears in his right knee during spring training. The veteran gave the team steady defense but minimal offensive production, finishing with a .236/.290/.322 slash line, five homers, 31 RBI and eight stolen bases over 423 plate appearances. Those numbers were nearly identical to what Rojas posted in 2022 in his final season with Miami and are a good indicator of what should be expected of him in the latter stages of his career. The veteran has just one double-digit homer season and one double-digit theft campaign over his 10 big-league seasons, so he's never been an exciting fantasy option. He'll be almost entirely off the radar next year, as he's expected to take on a bench role with Lux returning as Los Angeles' starting shortstop.

Rojas took a step backward in his fantasy value in 2022 as he attempted to play through a wrist injury which eventually required offseason surgery. Rojas has been a decent end game pick for his playing time, some steals, and a bit of batting average help but only the steals were present last season as the injury sapped his other offensive skills making him very tough to carry in any fantasy format. He should be healthy this season and remain a fixture in the Miami lineup in the final year of his deal as the club has said they want more high contact hitters in the lineup. That skill has been his calling card throughout his career at the plate while the defense has shone throughout, but even if it all comes together this should be a bottom of the lineup hitter and only rosterable in deeper league or single-league formats on draft day. Being traded to the Dodgers potentially sets Rojas up to serve as the starting shortstop in a much better lineup, though it's possible he also ends up as more of a utility piece. Regardless, he doesn't seem likely to move the needle in a major way for fantasy managers.

Rojas might be the most boring shortstop on the board. He will hit some home runs (nine last season) and steal some bases (a career-high 13 last year) with an OK batting average (.265). Maybe the stolen bases are a plus. The totality of his skill set makes him a fine plug-in for the middle infield spot in a deeper format. One issue is that he fractured his finger in late May and never had it corrected during or after the season. He struggled upon his return (.171/.190/.268 over 41 plate appearances in June) although Rojas was mostly his normal self from July 1 on (.272/.318/.387). While he was leading off, he was only playing four games a week to end the season. Full-time plate appearances might not be in store for Rojas.

A positive COVID test sidelined Rojas three games into the 2020 season. He returned Aug. 21 and was the Marlins' most productive hitter from there, helping lead the team to a surprise postseason berth. After never clearing a .100 ISO in any of his first six MLB seasons, Rojas exploded for 15 extra-base hits in his 143 PA, resulting in a .192 ISO. Rojas also upped his walk rate to a career-high 11.2% in his age-31 season after topping out at 8.8% previously. He managed five steals in six attempts despite bottom-40th percentile sprint speed. Nobody is expecting him to keep up a similar pace, but Rojas seems to have emerged as a leader in Miami and his playing time looks secure at shortstop, at least to begin 2021. The bat-to-ball skills are bankable (career 12.4 K%). The problem is the middling power and speed, which leaves Rojas on the periphery in most leagues despite his considerable baseball talent.

Rojas signed a three-year extension just before the end of the season, which seemed odd on the surface given Rojas was turning 31 in the offseason. The extension was a show of appreciation for the work he has done the past two seasons, particularly on defensive where he has graded out extremely well for his age. At the plate, he had his best season of full-time duty in average, OBP, runs and steals last year although his home-run total was cut in half in a year where many saw theirs rise. Rojas is going to play most of the time, but you'd like to see more production from a player who is receiving 500-plus plate appearances. The next time he scores 55 runs or drives in 55 runs will be the first time he does it, and that's really tough to carry in anything other than an NL-only league. Your hope is that he lucks himself into a .300 average and runs a little more, otherwise there is little here to use.

Rojas went 3-for-5 with two home runs in a game May 20 at Atlanta. It gave him seven homers on the young season and a .264/.322/.429 slash line through his first 181 plate appearances. Understand Rojas had had just four career home runs over his first four seasons in nearly 800 plate appearances. There was some thought that perhaps Rojas had found another level to his game. (Narrator: he had not). Rojas hit .246/.284/.305 after that May 20 game over his final 347 plate appearances. Rojas remains an excellent glove man with strong bat-to-ball skills, but that double-digit home-run total is not happening again. He is a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter and only brings some value when he can hit homers. He does not run much and hits for a poor average despite his contact skills. Positional flexibility is his most redeeming quality.

Rojas began 2017 as the Marlins' utility infielder, but injuries to Adeiny Hechavarria and Martin Prado, then the trade of Hechavarria, paved the way for Rojas to set a career high with 306 trips to the dish. It would have been considerably more had he not sprained his thumb while swinging the bat in early May, resulting in an extended DL stint, as he was sidelined until the week after the All-Star break. His .290/.361/.375 translated to a 96 wRC+, just a point below average. However, in fantasy terms, it was empty, as he hit just one homer and chipped in two steals. He'll enter camp in a battle with J.T. Riddle for the primary shortstop role. Considering the run-scoring context on the Marlins will be poor, Rojas is a one-category contributor, even if he wins the job. He'll have marginal value in NL-only leagues, mostly because he should pick up eligibility at other infield positions.

In his third season in the majors, Rojas appeared in 100 games for the first time in his career in 2016. Rojas was mainly used as a late-game defensive substitute last year, appearing in 123 games but only starting 44 of those and only registering 214 plate appearances. However, his versatility makes him a valuable utility man for the Marlins, something manager Don Mattingly has embraced, playing Rojas in more than 15 games at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop last season. In 2016, Rojas slashed .247/.288/.325, outperforming his main competition at shortstop, Adeiny Hechavarria, who only produced a .236/.283/.311 line himself. He has started 26 games at shortstop in each of his last two seasons in Miami, and with trade rumors swirling around Hechavarria, there have been talks about Rojas assuming a larger role in the Marlins' 2017 infield, but he's unlikely to be more than a glove-first utility player.

Rojas began the year with Triple-A New Orleans, but spent significant time in the big leagues due to various injuries around the Marlins' infield. After a dismal start, Rojas hit a huge hot streak at the end of the year to bring his batting average up to a respectable .282. He's still considered a glove-first infielder and his power numbers aren't there, but the 26-year-old does possess the ability to play all over the infield and even appeared once in left field. A strong spring at the plate could warrant a spot on the Marlins' 25-man roster as a utility player for Rojas, though his starting opportunities could be limited when the infield is healthy.

Rojas appeared in 85 games for the Dodgers in 2014, collecting most of those innings as a defensive replacement at shortstop when Hanley Ramirez was limited by various ailments. He held his own at hitter-friendly Albuquerque, putting a .302/.353/.434 line together over 173 plate appearances. Keep in mind, however, that the .434 Triple-A slugging percentage was Rojas' best mark since his 2009 stop in the Midwest League at Low-A Dayton (.339 SLG). When he's on a big league roster, Rojas will be used off the bench as a defensive replacement. He'll compete for a utility role with the Marlins after he was traded from the Dodgers in the offseason. Don't be surprised if he begins the year back at Triple-A while serving as organizational depth.