The Dodgers bolstered their infield depth Wednesday evening, announcing agreement with the Marlins on a deal that brings in veteran infielder Miguel Rojas. Miami receives infield prospect Jacob Amaya in a one-for-one swap.
Rojas, 34 in February, actually made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in 2014 but was one of the seven players involved in a trade that December that saw him head to Miami. He served in a utility role for a few years but gradually took over the everyday shortstop job for the Marlins.
He hasn’t hit much in the majors, having only gone over the fence 39 times in his nine seasons. However, he has proven tough to strike out, only going down on strikes in 12.6% of his career plate appearances. For reference, the league average last year was 22.4%, so Rojas has been punched out at a rate barely half of that. The overall result is a career batting line of .260/.314/.358 and a wRC+ of 85, indicating he’s been about 15% below league average.
What really makes Rojas appealing is his glove. Last year, he got strong marks from all three of Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average. His 15 DRS was second among shortstops last year with only Jeremy Peña ahead of him. His 4.9 UZR was fourth-best in the league and his 10 OAA had him tied for fifth. He also finished second at the position in the Fielding Bible voting, trailing only Jorge Mateo. His sprint speed is only in the 29th percentile but he was still able to swipe 22 bags over the past two seasons. Despite the subpar batting, he’s been worth 1.2 wins above replacement or higher in each of the past six seasons, according to the calculations of FanGraphs.
Rojas had previously been connected to the Red Sox in the offseason but instead returns to Los Angeles. The Dodgers lost their incumbent shortstop when Trea Turner reached free agency and signed with the Phillies earlier this offseason. The club is expected to give Gavin Lux a chance to move from second to short and become the long-term solution there, but having Rojas on hand gives them a veteran fallback who can also potentially impart his veteran wisdom to the younger player.
Despite the attributes of Rojas, the Marlins have moved on. They’ve been known to be looking for more offense for quite some time given their struggles in that department. The team-wide batting line last year was .230/.294/.363 for a wRC+ of 88, placing them ahead of just five other teams in the league in that regard. The Fish tried to add a bit more pop to the lineup recently when they signed Jean Segura. It was speculated by some at that point that they would then move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to shortstop and install Segura at the keystone. Subsequent reports suggest the club actually planned to have Segura at third, while it appears Joey Wendle will get first crack at shortstop.
It’s possible the other player in this deal will be a factor at the shortstop position in Miami before long. Amaya, 24, was drafted by the Dodgers in 2017 and has been considered one of their more interesting prospects since then. Prospect evaluators have generally considered him to be an excellent defender but there are questions about his bat. In 2021, he spent the year in Double-A, getting into 113 games at that level. While he walked in 10.9% of his plate appearances, he hit just .216/.303/.343 for a wRC+ of 75. Despite that tepid showing, he was added to the club’s 40-man roster in November of that year to protect him from selection in the Rule 5 draft.
Last year, seemed to get the hang of Double-A, hitting .264/.370/.500 for a wRC+ of 120 in 49 games. He was sent up to Triple-A but hit another speed bump. He walked in 14.9% of his trips to the plate but his .259/.368/.381 line was only good enough for a 94 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He still has a couple of option years remaining, which would allow the Marlins to keep him in the minors to continue developing as a hitter. But since he’s already played in 84 games at the Triple-A level, it doesn’t seem like a major league audition should be too far off.
It seems the win-now Dodgers have placed a higher value on the immediate impact of Rojas than the future value of Amaya. The Marlins, meanwhile, have a longer path towards contention and would appear to have a stronger interest in Amaya’s ability to help them for years to come.
The Dodgers are reportedly assuming the entirety of Rojas’ $5MM contract for the 2023 season. They’re tacking on a matching number to their competitive balance tax calculation with Rojas in the final season of his two-year deal. That latter point is more important, since the payroll is well below the club’s spending over the past few years.
There has been some suggestion the Dodgers would like to get under the tax threshold this year in order to reset their status. The CBT features escalating penalties for paying it in consecutive seasons but the Dodgers could theoretically stay under the $233MM line this year and go into 2024 as “first-time” payors. They have been right around that border of late, at least per the unofficial calculations of Roster Resource. They’re now firmly over the line, projected around $237MM. If the club is indeed hoping to duck under the line, they would likely have to subtract another contract from their ledger between now and season’s end.
Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic was first to report the Dodgers were “deep in talks” with Miami about a Rojas deal. Craig Mish of SportsGrid was first to report the Marlins would receive Amaya in return. Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed the sides were in agreement. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase was first to report Los Angeles was taking on Rojas’ entire $5MM salary.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Hmm… Might not be a bad move. Rojas as a stop gap at shortstop to keep Lux at 2nd base.
My sense is they want no part of Lux at SS for 150 games.
I was thinking the same thing until I joined Anthony Franco’s chat a bit ago. He seems to believe that Rojas is a fallback and that Lux is the Dodgers plan to “take over shortstop for the long term.”
A backup for Luz in case he struggles defensively.
Right, which they wouldn’t invest in if they were truly confident in Lux’s abilities.
Then again, it is the Dodgers, so you can never count out that they’re just upgrading their bench depth.
Either way, Rojas is an excellent piece to add to your bench, or as an occasional spot starter.
As usual, solid move by the Dodgers, and you’d have to think they just weren’t truly sold on Amaya’s ability to hit at the big league level just yet.
Well, it tells me they didn’t think they could rely on Amaya’s bat this season for any significant amount of time, in case they needed a replacement for Lux due to an injury or him not being able to stick defensively at SS.
Dodgers are typically always one step ahead identifying their needs, and that’s why they are consistently one of the best franchise’s in the game..
The Venezuelan Exchange … The Time Is Now … PABLO LOPEZ for GLEYBER TORRES
Agreed. Lux could potentially be a defensive liability, and it’s not like the bat is going to compensate for that. His bat is fine but most likely a colossal drop-off from Trea Turner’s production.
Not so sure about that. Lux has taken a huge leap forward last season offensively. He looks very comfortable at the plate. What he didn’t get was playing time at SS, which is where he’s most comfortable at. I say give him the playing time at SS and he’ll prove a solid glove. He’ll only get better offensively.
He definitely was better with the bat last season but it’s still going to be a huge drop-off from Trea Turner without a monumental improvement at the plate. I sure hope we see further improvement from him at the plate. That will be one of the key factors if the Dodgers are indeed going to be trying to stay under the CBT.
He was okay at 2B last season, but had some key mistakes. But the little I saw him at SS it looked like he was a step slow and just short on the arm department. To me he looks more suited to play 2B.
He’s played the majority of his minor league career at SS. He’s athletic enough to handle the position. Don’t take his outfield miscalculations into consideration. He’s an infielder, no doubt. Give him the chance be the everyday SS. He’s earned it.
mlbdodgerfan2015 – To be fair, pretty much the majority of guys available (and even not available) are going to be a colossal dropoff to Turner’s production at SS. Not too many guys carry a .300+ career average
With power and the fastest player in MLB too.
It is basically the same thing the Braves are doing with Vaughn Grissom, although they already have Orlando Arcia as their insurance policy if Grissom cannot stick at SS defensively.
Either way, I certainly wouldn’t have been opposed to the Braves acquiring Rojas, keeping Arcia in more of a super UT role, and then having Rojas as a defensive replacement, spot starter, and insurance policy in case Grissom can’t cut it at the big league level.
Also, for what it is worth, typically guys who their organizations don’t think can make it as big league SS defensively, their teams will go ahead and move them off the position either in AA or AAA.
This is what the Braves did with Ozzie Albies, even though he came up as primarily a SS.
It’ll definitely be interesting to see how both Lux and Grissom are able to perform. They won’t be asked to do too much offensively, due to their team’s respective lineups, so that should relieve some of the pressure off of them. Even still though, both teams are all-in during their prime co.petitive windows, so if they aren’t able to hold up defensively, it’ll be interesting to see how long they’ll give Lux and Grissom to turn it around…
In time, I think they’ll both be fine, as they both came up as everyday SS in the MiL, and it wasn’t like they were giant liabilities, they both seemed to handle the position well.
I miss Trea Turner already…
His fielding numbers were not good in the minors as a SS, but granted most of that time was in his first few years as a pro. Taking his average fielding percentage in the minors would put him at the very bottom of all starting SS in MLB. Probably some improvement but he’s probably still in the bottom third or quartile of MLB starting SS in fielding. And we haven’t even gotten around to range and arm. Everything still points to him being a much better 2B, where he can probably be above average to very good there. Hoping that Lux takes a step forward both with the bat and glove in 2023. He certainly has the upside potential but will it be realized in 2023?
No doubt that there was always going to be a meaningful drop off between Trea Turner and Lux, the question of course is by how much. That all depends how much Lux matures in 2023 with the bat and glove. And he’s taking on a position that he hasn’t played as much in the last few years.
Lux’s OPS in 2022 was about 0.100 lower than Trea Turner’s career OPS. Need Lux to take it closer to high 0.700 OPS., His OBP was respectable but the slugging needs to go up. Hopefully that happens as he gets stronger and turns singles into doubles and doubles into more home runs. He’s certainly capable given the numbers he put up in the minors but needs to get to that consistency level and confidence in the majors.
I think it has as much to do with keeping Lux at 2B as it does keeping him away from SS. Assuming they want to keep Taylor in a utility role, they don’t really have a plus defender at 2B besides Lux. Defense at 2B is going to come at a premium with the shift banned. No way the Dodgers will want Max Muncy out there on an island.
plus defender and Gavin Sax have never been mentioned in the same sentence
I mean, if you’ve never seen him play, or read his scouting report, sure.
True because no one has ever heard of gavin sax
Lux was fine at 2B, but a few costly mistakes. Booting some routine grounders, the occasional bad throws and a lack of awareness. One play I specifically remember was a routine grounder to 2B and Marte beating it out because Lux took his time on the grounder and casually flipped it to first base. Led to two runs I believe that were “earned” because it was technically not an error even though it was definitely a mental error. Cost Chris Martin two earned runs as he got two other outs before two runs scored. Tells you how lights out Chris Martin was for the Dodgers in the second half last season when he gave up only 4 earned runs his entire time in Los Angeles and two of those were gifted by Lux.
The fact that you can recall the specific mistakes Lux made is indicative of how rare they are.
I would have thought that Muncy was at 3B all along after Justin Turner exited. Vargas is not a good fielding 3B, and likely won’t start there barring a monumental improvement in the offseason.. So, Lux could now shift to 2B from SS, but not entirely clear if this will be the case. And not clear who the Dodgers had originally pegged at 2B prior to this Rojas trade. Perhaps Lux or Taylor or even Vargas or even Muncy? All I know is that the Dodger starting lineup come opening day is still open in the air outside of Smith at C, Freeman at 1B, Betts at either RF or CF, and Martinez at DH.
“I would have thought that Muncy was at 3B all along after Justin Turner exited. Vargas is not a good fielding 3B” —- Dude, you and me both. I am not a fan of Vargas at 3B at ALL
Honestly I never know wtf to expect from CT3 either. Is he going to be super hot and carry the team with allstar-type numbers? Or is he going to hit .220 for months and look superass mediocre? He kinda drives me nuts, but then again, he’s bailed us out sooo many times it seems like
The Venezuelan Exchange … The Time Is Now … PABLO LOPEZ for GLEYBER TORRES
Yeah you said that a couple times already.
I’d say it’s great insurance for Lux. They should absolutely try Lux at SS. Due to positional rarity he becomes worth much more if you can employ his bat at SS rather than at 2B.
But he’s had bouts of the yips at 2b so he may not be capable.
So, Rojas=Great insurance.
Probably be smart to run the offer through the Red Sox to see if they’ll beat it. They might be desperate now
Iglesias hit 144 OPS+ in his 59 ABs in 2021 for BOS as an audition, being the same age as Andrus/Rojas, and cheaper (presumably). Why wouldn’t they go that route?
Maybe because it was a tiny 59 at-bat sample and he’s been worth .5 bWAR over the last two years?
Sure, I guess I was thinking that they know him and maybe good tap into some of that with a decent defensive presence for minimal pay and no loss or prospect capital they need.
Because it was 59 at bats going on 2 seasons ago perhaps?
Same kinda situation as ATL. Shop around for a temporary SS to fill the gap, & then if something falls into your lap, let it give you a lap dance
Bloom needs to run a move through baseballtradevalues first, then look at his handy-dandy analytics/tradevalue/reclamation potential sliderule.
That takes time.
It’s also likely to fail as the flip-for-prospects potential of any Iglesias upside is nearly nil, and, analytics don’t like his range defense work at SS.
I loved Iglesias with the Os but he would have to be a temporary solution. He was a doubles machine with good defense for Os
Thing is with the Marlins deal Amaya probably steps right into the Marlins SS job. Unless the Marlins were to view Ceddane Rafaela as a MLB ready SS this probably doesn’t work.
The Sox can sign Andrus or Iglesias for money and keep the prospect(s)
Chisholm goes to short probably. They can then move Segura back to second & play Wendle at 3rd or bring in another infielder like Harrison
Wendle is gone so it will probably be Amaya and Groshans competing for reps at third.
It’ll be Wendle and Groshans platooning at 3B unless the Marlins make a trade for another infielder (like Gelyber Torrez).
So deep in talks they should be playing “Careless Whisper” in the background.
Wham! or Seether (i actually prefer the Seether version)?
Maybe I misunderstood the comment of them talking deeply and they were all talking like Barry White?
I for a moment mistook Barry White for Barry Gibb and it might have made this better.
@Rsox:
Wasn’t “Careless Whispers” George Michael’s first solo hit? May he rest in peace!
Gruß,
BSHH
Was recorded by George Michael but written by him and Andrew Ridgeley while both were in Wham!
This could very well blow up to become a huge blockbuster of a deal!!
Great deal for the Fish if just a one for one trade.
Great deal for both. Dodgers needed depth now and got it and stay under the tax threshold. Fish salary dump and get a decent prospect in the future. Caveat. I believe Marlins owner wants the payroll below $100 mil? The Cueto deal put them over.
This doesn’t have anything to do with money. They were already over 100 million before the Cueto deal and they’re still over 100 million after this move. This was a great move by them. Another great defensive SS with a higher offensive ceiling who is ten years younger and much cheaper. He will either be their super utility guy or starting SS next season. Now they just gotta trade Wendle and that’s almost guaranteed to happen. Guy is terrible and making 6 million.
@Chemo850: agree to disagree. MLB owners have budget constraints. Albeit, a starkly remarkable contrast in approach to budgeting by these two owners. That said, to me, FOs of these two teams look like they are making personnel payroll decisions based on parameters set by ownership. Cheers!
This doesn’t have anything to do with money = this has everything to do with money
Except it doesn’t. At least not this time anyways. They’ve made several offers to free agents this cycle that would have pushed their payroll to the highest its ever been. Rojas got traded because he sucks AND he cost 5 million. Wendle is making even more money than Rojas and he sucks twice as much and he’s still on the roster. Difference is ain’t nobody offering a top prospect for Wendle. The Marlins got the much better end of this deal.
Don Mattingly should have put him at short with a huge lead when Kershaw was pitching a perfect game. Instead, he kept Hanley in and Hanley booted a routine grounder (no surprise). Kershaw still got the no hitter
Mattingly proved time and again that he didn’t care one bit about no hitters.
*perfect game
Then again, Rojas made an exceptional play down the third base line in that same inning to save the no-hitter. My point is, you never know how these things will work out
There may be more players involved, not just the Short Stop. Dodgers may be working on getting a Starting Pitcher.
Came here to say this. Pablo to LA I’m thinking.
Right ,,,Amaya isnt going for rojas straight up
Team Captain and fan-loved Miguel Rojas straight up for a poor hitting prospect…difficult to understand and agree on.
It will take a lot more than Amaya to get Lopez.
Final season of a 34 year old glove first SS making $5 million for 6 years of control of a glove first SS that can be stashed in the minors or make the minimum in the majors. Not very difficult to understand.
@jk lol you sure
that didn’t age well lol
He may be loves and a great guy, but he doesn’t offer much offensively.
Can’t believe Andrew Friedman is really going to swindle Kim Ng into taking Jacob Amaya. Dude was hoarding a roster spot and wasn’t even a serious consideration for the Dodgers SS hole.
Great fit for them.
No pitchers? This deal is gonna get larger.
Isn’t Rojas entering his walk year? Just do it. They won’t re-sign him.
Plus he’ll be 34. Players like him tend to age the worst.
Defensive first SS’s age the worst? Really?
How about speed-reliant slap hitting outfielders who also rely on their speed for their defense?
Or dad bod first baseman?
Maybe Trace Thompson, as the Marlins long sought after (and thus underwhelming) center field solution? In addition to Amaya, that might be acceptable. Dodgers meanwhile can use Taylor in CF full time.
He’s the dodger starting CF, so no
so it’ll be 3rd year in a row the dodgers SS walks? sounds like business as usual.
Would you rather the Dodgers signed the Corey Seager deal or the Trea Turner deal?
Otherwise, you’re complaining about them making smart business decisions…
I’m hearing the Dodgers are getting Sandy Alcantara and Jazz Chisholm as well
Lol
It must be part of that deal where the Dodgers send over Will Smith, Mookie Betts, Walker Buehler, Brusdar Graterol and money to pay all of Betts’ contract.
They consulted chaim bloom who vetoed the trade, graterol doesn’t pass medical muster
You Wished !!
GAME CHANGER
With this move, the Marlins can package Sandy, Lopez, and Eury for a decent CF or 3b.
Sandy is not moving !!
Do you copy and paste this or type it every time?
Depends on the Team, so it’s best I type it.
Yankees glad to trade IKF to Dodgers for a PTBNL, as long as they take Hicks with him. Who says no?
I do
Ok Yankees get Trevor Bauer
Add Miguel Rojas to a dime, and you still have just ten cents…
I bet this is an insult to lux. Lux is a soon to be ex dodger. I can’t make any sense of this trade. They are about to announce other trades to remain under tax line.
Chris taylor can be moved
Thinking the same thing. Taylor is about the only option for reducing payroll if they are serious about staying under luxury tax.
Why would they add payroll if they’re trying to lower payroll? Seems like a just in case Lux can’t play SS defense. Moving Taylor probably requires the Dodgers to eat some of his contract and/or part with prospects. Not a good contract.
Why? Lux will still be a 150+ game starter if healthy… just at 2nd
Lux and Taylor aren’t going anywhere. If the Dodgers dump anyone for payroll space it’ll be Daniel Hudson, but probably not even him.
Certainly not the only real closer they’ve got on the roster.
Probably not…. but I doubt Hudson’s closer experience will be a deal breaker. Doubtful they’ll go with a designated closer anyway.
If they traded Hudson sure, but if they keep him I’d expect he’d be used to close more often than not.
The only way they dump payroll is if Treinen gets moved in a much, much bigger deal
Have no idea why the Dodgers gave Treinen money to sit out another season after not pitching almost all of 2022. That was pretty dumb.
I’m wondering what this is about. It was kind of clear that Rojas was going to be moved after the Segura signing, but I figured it would be a part of a larger deal with one of the pitchers to land us a bat.
I guess this is just clearing the infield situation and grabbing a young player. I’m wondering what happened with the Red Sox discussions.
Looks like Berti/Wendle at 3b, Jazz at SS, Segura at 2b and the legend, Cooper at 1b.
70 wins here we come.
70 wins is kind of optimistic.
I’m thinking Groshans platooning with Wendle. Berti may need to get ready to be the CF.
I wonder who is going to be the backup 1B…actually starting 1B because whoever the backup is at 1B will be the starter for the half season or so that the legendary Cooper is on the IL making us wait for another year when he’ll be healthy.
So you are saying this will improve the team?
I think it’s plausible this expands to one of the 4 available starters. Quite plausible
Los Karens making moves!
Rocker
The first ten times it wasn’t funny. Plus, it is misogynistic. At least call them Los Kevins to not be so sexist.
Manny where does this come from? I don’t understand this “Los Karens” joke/reference.
I’d give you paul dejong and 5 million for Amaya.
Nah
Amaya is an overpay. Glove first guys are on the waiver wire all the time. Simmons is still a free agent, I believe.
Glove first guy being cheap means nothing if they aren’t on the field
Amaya seems to be a glove first guy himself. And Rojas is apparently an awesome clubhouse guy.
This seems like a move that would be made by a small market team. Miguel Rojas is a lower division starting shortstop. I don’t think he would be in the top 25 of shortstops in 2022. Seems like a major downgrade for the Dodgers to move from Turner to him. They’d probably be better off trading with Minnesota for the now displaced Kyle Farmer, who was much better than Rojas in 2022.
Not many moves would be on par or even above moving from Turner. Water is wet guys
They should have made a push for Amed Rosario
Meh. Rojas was the 2nd best defensive shortstop last year in baseball, and the various metrics put a different person above Rojas. Arguably, on the whole, he was the best defensive SS when considering all metrics together.
They prioritized defense in CF last year and won 111 games. Prioritizing defense at SS fits right into that model
2nd in DRS. Tied for 5th in OAA. If he could hit he would have real value. But he can’t.
They can afford to win 100 games instead of 111. No team needs their #1-9 hitters to be elite. Defense up the middle is critical.
Yet he’s had a positive WAR- despite being a below average offensive weapon- precisely because of that defense
LA is clearly prioritizing the middle infield defense, and keeping Lux at 2B while adding an elite defensive SS does just that
All that says is how flawed a stat WAR is.
That’s fine but now they have to compensate that with more offense elsewhere. Dodgers have a few holes to plug. Still not fully convinced that they’re going to roll with both Vargas and Outman as starters or platoon players.
I don’t think this Dodger team, as constructed at this moment, is going to win 100 games. I would say around 92 right now +/- 5 seems about right. With the 3 teams in the NL East no longer beating each other up as much in 2023 and the Padres improving, the Dodgers might take a step back. Perhaps even out of the playoffs if a surprise team like the Giants, Brewers, or Cubs have a good year.
They led MLB in runs scored and runs allowed in 2022. If they stay strong at run prevention, they don’t need to outscore their division by 140 runs. Freeman, Mookie, Muncy, Smith, Lux, Taylor, and Martinez form a formidable core. I do see them taking a step back, but I do not see them falling out of playoff contention, and, realistically, the division should still be there’s because of strong defense and pitching.
@hiflew I was just thinking the same thing; Dodgers might be lucky to win 90.
Not sure about playoffs but certainly more holes and questions about the 2023 Dodgers assuming they stay put and don’t do much until Opening Day. Lineup for sure is not as good and with a lot more uncertainty in having to rely on youngsters and some less proven players.
Starting rotation is also a risk with less depth and some pitchers coming back from injury or injury prone. Missing Buehler. May needs to take a big step, and they will likely need at least one youngster to step up at some point of 2023.
Bullpen is probably the most stable assuming some of the lower sample size guys continue to put up good numbers (Philips, Almonte, Ferguson, etc.) and Hudson can come back from injury.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they eke out a playoff appearance but also wouldn’t be surprised if they missed the playoffs. I think the Padres the team to beat in the NL West as it stands today.
Fun trip down memory lane remembering that trade. Thanks for adding the link.
So the fish are trading a year of Miggy Ro for a cost controlled (6+ years), similar player in Amaya. I like this move a lot. Also get the feeling that him and Chisholm didn’t get along last year.
Rojas been a clubhouse leader since he went to Miami. Not sure why you’d assume he couldn’t get along with their best player
BEFORE Jazz became a superstar
Unless you have something to base your opinion on, sounds like you just have an opinion
Jazz has been there for 3 seasons. Rojas has been there 8 years. Rojas grew into a leader with Jazz on the roster. They’re different personalities, sure, but assuming they disliked each other..?
If they didn’t get along it probably was on Jazz.
hopefully there is WAY more to this deal
If it’s for Amaya I bet Miami is paying Rojas’ salary.
Marlins on the “verge” is like the organizational motto.
He’s a nobody
Indeed, the Dodgers seem to be toiling just below the CBT threshold to reset the penalties (which would make perfect sense and had been done by them a few years before via a trade involving Matt Kemp). So could this deal be held up by the Dodgers trying to move Bauer’s salary off their books?
Gruß,
BSHH
That would be very ironic if Kim Ng trades for Trevor Bauer lol
This can’t be the entire trade. The FO has been trying to stay under the CBT, and they’re looking to go over that for Miguel Rojas?!! We’re sending a prospect for a salary dump (and defensive SS), but who is it?
Bauer and cash to Miami?
I’m losing hope that we’re trading Bauer… Really disappointed in this offseason
Why would anyone take any of Bauer’s contract that the Dodgers are on the hook for? He will likely not pitch for anyone in 2022.
Somebody might be willing to pay somewhat more than the minimum to be first in line. Assuming there’s a line, which I honestly doubt.
I guarantee he won’t pitch for anyone in 2022. 2023? Different story.
I don’t think it’s very likely either, but it isn’t something I’d want to guarantee. A non-contending team with little to lose by taking a flier on him is a possiblity. I assume you meant 2024 but I’m not sure why one year should be any different than another. He’ll still be the same person with the same issues.
Yeah this is interesting. Not the worst move in the world for the Dodgers by any means but Amaya is basically a younger (albeit unproven) version of Rojas (strong defense, little offensive value), but Amaya does have the higher upside. It’s interesting too because this means Rojas is more of a one-year answer than a long-term piece at the position, so it’s just delaying this problem for another year (or asking Lux a year from now to go back to the position they didn’t want him at in the first place). Unless they really believe in Leonard as the long-term solution. Or they’ll give Lux full reins at short and the move is really more of a depth piece in case Lux struggles
Then there are also the other intangibles. Amaya is a local L.A. kids and Rojas is a big clubhouse leader in Miami, which certainly means something with the young team that Miami has. So a bit of head-scratcher, but my gut tells me there’s more to this story
Actually, this is the type of move the Marlins need to do more often. There are a lot of over 30 players making too much for a team that is not ready to contend, They have quite a few younger players that they need to give playing time to while they are in low pressure times. Hopefully, they can deal a SP or 2 for almost-ready or ready younger bats.
Hmm interesting. Busch+ for López then?
Yeah, I would think so since Busch is and has been blocked. Not sure if he will be a 4A player since he is getting old for a “prospect”? Pages would be great as the headliner, but that might be tough. Would like to grab Nastrini somehow,
You may not believe in Lux’s ability to play SS, but this trade doesn’t mean LA holds that same opinion
It was the best option given the price tag they were comfortable with. Improve the defense and let the big bats carry the lineup. Winning the most games in the regular season has proven to mean nothing. They’re looking for a consistent solution through Nov. that’s Rojas
Where did you get the impression that I think Miguel Rojas is a better long-term solution at SS than Lux?
He was shaky at 2B and I have my doubts that he has enough arm and range to play a good SS. In my opinion it’s going to be a below average SS defense from Lux, which is fine if he can bat above average at SS. I’m not sure if that will be the case. He needs to show some improvement at the plate. More slugging without compromising on base average.
I disagree. Lux has the athleticism to be a solid SS. He hasn’t even reached his prime years and he is making strides after being given the time to play (at multiple positions that he had to learn). I think Lux has the potential to be a consistent contributor both offensively and defensively.
Ok.
Ok
Ok.
I think the Dodgers got a steal, if Rojas is healthy. His offensive numbers were suppressed by a wrist injury last year, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he bounces back to near league average, and his defense is superb. I’m not near as high on Amaya as some; I can’t get past that 2021 output in AA and doubt he’s more than a utility player long term.
He wasn’t even league avg in 21’. If this is the move that puts the dodgers over the tax then it seems like a pretty bad move.
This is not a steal by any means. It’s a move, maybe even a solid one at that, but far from a steal, especially if they’ll be paying his entire salary while claiming they want to get under the luxury tax. Rojas is basically a decade-older version of Jacob Amaya.
@SenorTortas
Funny about your mention of “Rojas is basically a decade-older version of Jacob Amaya.”
I actually am thinking the same thing. It feels like the Marlins traded away old Rojas/Amaya for young Rojas/Amaya.
Yeah for you guys it’s a no-brainer. For us it’s a bit of a head-scratcher
Who knows if Amaya is a younger Rojas – he hasn’t played a single game in the Majors.
Agreed. Seems like the Dodgers have soured on Amaya and his bat has not come around. Most likely won’t make much of a dent and may never get to the MLB level.
Maybe a trade lopez for torres on
I dig the move…
Lopez for torres
I’m wondering about that too. With Lopez’s expected salary along with Rojas’ salary, moving them both (Rojas in this deal; Lopez for Torrez), their salaries somewhat balance out with Gleyber’s.
Here’s the Equation … GLEYBER 6.2M + LOPEZ 2.5M = 8.7M – 5M (Rojas) = 3.7M that Marlins could easily pay
Actually, you have to subtract Lopez’s contract because that will be gone because he’s being traded away… but as we both see, it offsets to where the Marlins can handle it.
Dodgers fans happy about mediocre Rojas at short, mediocre Lux at 2nd and below mediocre Thompson in CF? How the mighty has fallen and the rationalization from ‘dodger blue’ fans is…interesting
Dennis,
You mentioned the bottom 3 in the Dodgers order. By not mentioning Betts, Freeman, Smith, Martinez, Muncy, or Taylor, all All-Stars, you forget that this is still a 100 win team. I know Smith technically isn’t an all star but obviously a top 3 catcher in the league. We’re going to let Vargas or Outman earn a spot and see what can be done at the deadline. My point, the mighty are just fine, and will still be an absolute threat to win the World Series.
This lineup is much worse than last year. Yes they could still win 100 games and they could still win the WS (unless they do their typical postseason choke), but I just cannot believe dodger fans are ok with this. It’s very different than the last 10+ years to so heavily rely on so many rookies (may work out fine though). And if JD Martinez is the Dodgers cleanup hitter and Taylor is #6, that is a weak lineup.
We will see, friend. You need to meet some of the Dodgers young stars.
I’m okay with this as long as the Dodgers don’t do something stupid. Reset the CBT, hopefully stay competitive for a playoff spot in 2023, while positioning for a better run in 2024.
This Dodger fan isn’t okay with it, but I saw it coming so I’m not surprised. My biggest disappointment is that nobody in the FO is held accountable for the decisions that led to this situation.
Dodgers haven’t had as much success in developing farm players to extremely productive players. Lux was better last season but not at the same level as the Seager, Kershaw, Urias, Bellinger (early years), Buehler, not to mention reclamation projects J Turner, Muncy, etc. Bellinger took a big step down and is gone. Muncy took a step down. Had a couple of good pitching reclamation projects last season but they’re gone. Without that pipeline of cheaper super productive players you have to spend and trade away a lot of elite talent. Dodgers badly need some of their youngsters to start producing.
And not guarantees that Vargas/Outman hit much at the MLB level, so a lot of question marks. No doubt that the lineup is much worse year over year. I’m fine with a reset and playing a youngster but with Bauer’s contract now counting will the Dodgers get/stay below the threshold? Not sure how competitive this team will be without more impactful moves.
Give me a break, dude. Your boring attempt to incite discussion lacks real insight. Where’d you get your baseball crystal ball? The 99 Cent store?
This is a somewhatbaimillar return I was thinking of from the Red Sox for Rojas/wendle, but I personally think they should have been able to get an arm, and/or another utility option, in addition to Amaya coming back…so typical Marlins type of return, with diminished value
I said that last year may have been the time to consider a trade, but it’s still tough to see someone like Miguel Rojas go. He came in that awful trade with the Dodgers, which was a significant part in them having to make the deals they made in 2017, but from day 1, Rojas was someone you want on your team. Great SS, good leadership, puts the bat on the ball, and is clutch. We’ve been lucky to have him, and losing his defense especially should be a big deal
@formerlyz
This is obviously a salary dump and clearing the way for Jazz to move to SS. I’m not sure what to think of this deal, but they got a much younger infielder than Rojas, so we’ll see how that turns out. Remember, Rojas was not highly valued when we got him, but we worked hard into becoming a better ballplayer. Let’s see what Amaya does. For all we know, we may put in the work, and we may end up thrilled at this trade in a few years. It isn’t like Rojas is a stud that we can’t do without.
I’m more interested in seeing when do we pull off a big trade using our pitching surplus. For all we know, this trade may be prepping for that in either clearing salary or grabbing Amaya as an additional young piece in a package for another trade.
I ask again though; what big trade can they pull off, which gives them a chance to win the world series this year or next year? I dont see it at all, and with that being the case, I still say it makes zero sense
There is none. I think this year, any big trade has to be favorable for the further development and near future of the team with a nucleus that includes Sandy and Jazz going forward.
So then what are we talking about? Why trade pitchers now, for what is being talked about as help NOW? How does that actually move the organization forward?
With our team, we definitely need young hitters to pair up with our young pitchers as we go forward. Better to get them now so they all grow together… and it’s easier to assess future needs based on what weaknesses are seen in the young nucleus of pitchers and hitters.
With the veteran adds, they can help with mentorship and protection for the young players.
The veteran subtractions are pretty much meh situations.
With Lopez’s actual trade, if they’re not signing him long term, then cash in now since he’s just a couple of years away from free agency.
Of course, I admit, a lot of this is me trying to make logic out of what has been a clearly often illogical situation with the Marlins and Kim Ng.
I’d guess most NL east fans of competing clubs will be thrilled this to see this gentleman less. Pesky hitter! Good luck to him in the Southland!
I wonder if Dave is going to proclaim again this spring training the dodgers are winning the WS…probably not with this group
I’ll give Kim some credit here – I’ve liked her last three moves. Segura and Cueto were both solid signings. This right here is her best move yet. She saves 5 million and she’s either gonna end up with another solid glove at SS who can’t hit or she’s gonna end up with a gem. Time will tell. My favorite move so far.
Great trade for MIA, bad for Dodgers, they now go over the luxury tax and lose a future SS. They could have paid Elvis less than $5 million easy :((
Miguel Vargas jugará como un All Star en tercera, Gavin Lux será bueno en SS. Miguel Rojas será un respaldo sólido.
Creo que ya anunciaron que Muncy va jugar 3B.
Pero me imagino pronto Vargas lo hará.
Tal vez Vargas tenga la oportunidad de 2B o LF si Muncy tiene el tercero. Espero verlo jugar muchos juegos.
Is it just me or are the Dodgers cheap this year? They usually build every position with a solid player, but this one I don’t feel it.
I didn’t get JD Martinez either. He’s a good bat but goes against their previously versatile team.
Personally, I think they’ve downgraded this year. Miguel Rojas isn’t much to be proud about, no offense.
Dodgers fan here. Hard to be mad at this trade. I’ve been very concerned about a Lux-Muncy combo without the shift. Plus, even if you want Lux at SS, there is no guarantee of health, and Amaya was the only real back-up for Lux at SS in the pipeline – maybe Taylor but his arm at SS is an unknown to us (of course, the Dodgers know more) and they like him best as an all-over-the-diamond player, which this allows him to do. Were the Dodgers really going to risk a Lux injury in week one and go with Amaya at SS?! Well, we know know they answer: no. Rojas is a good clubhouse guy, great defender, and has a history of being a utility guy himself (better than Hanser Alberto for sure). All that said – I have confidence the Dodgers know full well what they are giving up with Amaya – meaning they don’t think he’ll hit a lick in the MLB. But he has upside and if the Marlins are betting on a few months in AA, it’s not the worst bet in the world – considering his plus defense is the fallback. [I wish the Dodgers got Amed Rosario – but he might not have been available, much less at the right price]. Here is hoping this also means the Dodgers have a Bauer trade lined up that saves them at least 5 million. Hey, a man can dream, can’t he?
Bauer is probably not going to be signed by anyone this year.
He’ll be a Padre by the end of the month. The Dodgers are idiots for releasing him. Now when the Padres sign him they’ll have paid for them to have their ace.
The Venezuelan Exchange … The Time Is Now … PABLO LOPEZ for GLEYBER TORRES
The signing of Rojas has more to do with spelling Muncy at third than it does with anything related to Gavin Lux. Lux earned his chance to be the everyday SS and I think he’ll build upon his success from last season. The spraying of doubles all over the field is a good sign of things to come. His power numbers are coming.
Yet ANOTHER swing & miss from Chaim Bloom.