Apart from a few scattered signs of promise dotting the South Florida tank, it’s been another year to forget for the Fish. The Marlins currently sit at 32-54, 19.5 games back of the Braves in a tough NL East, a mark that all but assures the club of a decade-long losing-season sweep.
The club’s heaviest assets of yesteryear have all been pawned, leaving an assortment of pre-arb castoffs, up-and-comers, and journeymen hangers-on. Still, it’s baseball, and where playing time awaits, new assets will emerge. The club has steadily rebuilt its once-barren farm, stolen a couple names from regimes with which new club personnel were familiar, and allowed previously cast aside young talent to flourish. Even Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara, the bulk of the oft-pilloried return for Marcell Ozuna, have spread their wings this season, with the former vaulting into top-100 territory and the latter notching the club’s lone ’19 All-Star appearance despite shaky peripherals.
Can the club add to its array of projected big leaguers on the farm? Many of its top performers this season – Brian Anderson, Pablo Lopez, Garrett Cooper, Caleb Smith – figure to comprise the core of Miami’s next contending club, and are thus unlikely to move. Veterans Martin Prado, Starlin Castro, Wei-Yin Chen, Adam Conley, and Sergio Romo have done little to boost their respective values, and high-octane hurler Jose Urena hasn’t take the step forward the team hoped. But one former throw-in from a long-ago deal has remained steady as always.
Enter Miguel Rojas. Acquired in the head-scratching deal that sent Andrew Heaney, Kiké Hernandez, and Austin Barnes to LA in exchange for Dee Gordon and an aging Dan Haren, Rojas was used sparingly in his first couple seasons with the club. He opened eyes with a 1.4 fWAR performance in just 90 games in 2017, pairing strong contact ability with above-average defense at multiple positions. The gutting of 2018’s roster left near-full-time opportunity at shortstop for Rojas, a position at which he sparkled defensively, notching 10 defensive runs saved in nearly half the innings of NL-leader Nick Ahmed, who posted 21, and a UZR/150 that ranked among MLB’s best.
The 30-year-old Venezuelan has vaulted up a notch this season, pacing the big leagues in both UZR/150 and the range component of the stat, with a striking 13 Defensive Runs Saved to boot. With Andrelton Simmons on the shelf, and Brandon Crawford looking a shell of his former shelf all across the diamond, Rojas has staked a legitimate claim to the league’s best defender at the most difficult defensive position on the field.
His bat, too, has taken off: his 97 wRC+ has the one-time utility man on pace for nearly 3.0 fWAR this season, an easily above-average mark, and his second such offensive campaign in three years. His hard-hit rate has jumped to a career-high 35.5%, and the righty’s chasing pitches outside the zone at a career-low pace. Rojas’ 12.8 K% (paired with a respectable 7.8% BB) ranks among the league’s lowest.
In short, he’s as solid as they come. But where will he fit? Unlike other positions – catcher, second base – shortstop is rife with talent, and nearly every contender has a good one. Milwaukee, who’s seen Orlando Arcia reprise his poor performance from a season ago, could be a fit, as might Tampa or perhaps Pittsburgh or Cincinnati. Washington could again shift its shortstop, Trea Turner, around the diamond – he’s been awful defensively in limited action so far this season – as could the Cubs, whose second-base hole might simply be plugged by the displacement of one-time incumbent Javier Baez.
Given the propensity of new-wave front offices to acquire pieces without a clear fit, it stands to reason that Rojas’ market may be wider than it first appears. He’s arbitration-eligible for the final time in 2020, so Miami’s return won’t be negligible; the one-time throw-in may soon find himself a centerpiece.
Has Arcia really been that bad? He hasn’t been that good really I’ll admit, but he’s certainly not as bad in 2019 as he was in 2018. The increased power has to be somewhat encouraging at least.
blah blah blah, juiced ball
I don’t know what Trea Turner you’ve been watching but the dude has been far from awful.
His defense has been worth almost a whole negative WAR before the all star break. If that isn’t awful I don’t know what is.. offensively he’s been fine, but the article clearly states defensively.
He’s playing with a bad finger, he won’t be this bad once it heals a little more.
Tough NL East? The division is cumulatively under .500 with a negative run differential. Easily the worst division in the NL.
And yet the marlins are still 19.5 games back… That should say something.
Tough doesn’t mean best. The top 4 teams, despite their record, are tough teams.
Top four teams? So you’re counting the Mets as tough? The Braves are really good, the Nats and Phils are competitive, but the Mets and Marlins are two of the worst teams in the NL. Still doesn’t make for a tough division.
its not easy playing three other strong teams more often then not.
I doubt the Marlins move him. Somebody would have to absolutely love him, and be willing to pay a pretty prospect price to get him. With all this young pitching coming now and in the future, Rojas highest value to the Marlins might be right there at SS helping take away hits for these young pitchers. With the value he provides defensively for the Marlins, it makes no sense to trade him just to trade him.
We might find ourselves talking about Jordan Yamamoto as part of that core group soon. I know 5 starts is a little to small a sample size to get to aggressive but in those starts he has pitched 29 innings and allowed just 4 runs amd one of those games he shut down the Braves line up throwing 6 innings, allowing 0 runs, 2 Hits, 7 k’s and 3 passes.
Marlins making a move for the AAAA Florida League title again…
For an article that speculates how they should be interested in moving Rojas…?
Lol did the Marlins hurt your feelings or something? Dude says the same bs on every Marlins post.
Keep trolling.
Consistent because it’s true. It’s an embarrassment how the organization is ran.
Lmao, Jeter has turned a bottom 5 farm team into one that’s ranked 13th/14th, and that’s without this years draft or IFA signings. His group has targeted other teams castoffs (Smith, Cooper, Ramirez) and turned them into quality MLB starters.
Going back to IFA signings, an area where Loria never cared about, he’s signed the 2018 top prospect, two 2019 top 30 prospects, and has the commitment of a top 10 prospect for next year. Just because you don’t want to give them credit doesn’t mean change isn’t happening.
No one doubts the prospects, but that’s exactly my point. They groom them and as soon as they show MLB potential they’ll be dealt for prospects again, that is cheap labor, and then dealt again as the cycle is stuck in wash, rinse, repeat mode.
PS: Jeter was supposed to change it all yet as soon as he came into town he dealt good players away to go cheap just like the previous regime.
Jeter said he would rebuild the entire franchise “the right way”, like Houston and Dodgers have done, the moment Sherman and Jeter bought the team.
Now if they don’t spend money to keep their core or being in FA to supplant their talented core, once they become contenders, then yes they’re no different than Loria etc.
Supplement* their core.
Jeter said from the get go they would tear it all down and rebuild. Even before they bought the team. He did promise that the rebuild would be different than Loris and once the rebuild was complete that it would be different as well and so far he hasnt lied. Spending on IFA and actually spending money everywhere. I’ll bet you that there are some extensions in a year or two as well. There will
Always be trading expensive talent for prospects, it just won’t be everyone anymore. Wanna make a bet at least 3 of the core group gets extensions by 2021?
Rojas aint the long term answer for sure.
Shame too, since the Marlins have (very) young talent at SS that won’t be ready for at least 3-5 years.
Rojas really isn’t that good… don’t let this article fool you. He’s a solid enough player. But don’t act like he’s gold
“Solid” is exactly what this article is saying Rojas is. Let alone anyone acting he’s “gold”
Hopefully they can flip him for a more pitching. Can never have enough. If not, they have a solid offensive and defensive player to lead the young core.
How was the trade with LA a head scratcher? The marlins were in win now mode, and they got GREAT production from Dee Gordon and got a good year out of Dan Haren. As for the dodgers, they got 3 serviceable players. None of them are necessarily starters or an ace, but serviceable. The marlins definitely won that trade, although I don’t think either team regrets it.
And kudos to the MIA FO at the time for unloading Heaney when they did. He’s been a permanent fixture on the IL for LAA for the past several years, and most pundits were really high on him at the time of the trade.
Marlins are one of the worst teams in baseball for a reason, but Rojas and riddle have been a bright spot for them this year
How about the entire rotation? Cooper? Alfaro? Ramirez? There’s a lot to be excited about in comparison to 2 months ago
Marlins are on the worst teams in baseball for reason with bad defense and pitching, but Rojas and riddle been a bright spot for the team
Imagine saying Riddle is a bright spot. Imagine saying the Marlins have bad pitching. Ya hate to see it
What is bright about riddle hes batting under .200… Hes a bench player at best. I would not trade rojas, he means alot to the marlins in a leadership sense.
The Tigers and Orioles are worse and still diving. The Marlins are not a good team now but they are improving and will be competitive in a couple years. They do need to improve in the basics, however.
They’ll be ready in a few years no doubt, ready to be dealt for more prospects.
What are the basics ?
What is bright about riddle hes batting under .200… Hes a bench player at best. I would not trade rojas, he means alot to the marlins in a leadership sense.
He’s good player in bad situation! I would trade Rojas to a team with a heavy minor league system like the A’s, cardinals or braves and grab all there top prospects, because let’s make this clear you are a joke for a reason like the orioles you are the second worst team in baseball for a reason too, so rebuild for 5 or 10 years because u guys suck