Miguel Rojas’ contract for 2022 close to being guaranteed. But what about beyond that?
Miguel Rojas has made it clear time and time again: He wants to finish his playing career with the Miami Marlins. The 32-year-old shortstop and father of two has evolved into the club’s leader during the past three years as they continue through the organization’s latest rebuild, the vocal presence in the clubhouse and the example to younger players on how to be a professional.
“I don’t like to look so far ahead,” Rojas said, “but at the end of the day, you have to look out for your future and if you really mean something you’ve gotta make sure that you, that you follow through on whatever you’re saying. If you’re saying that you believe in this and you want to be here, then yeah, of course I want to be thinking about my future in Miami.”
He’s one step closer to guaranteeing that he will be back for at least one more year. The $5.5 million club option in Rojas’ contract for the 2022 season vests, or becomes guaranteed, when he hits 500 plate appearances for the 2021 season. Rojas, at 496 plate appearances through Wednesday, should hit that 500 mark any day, potentially as early as Friday’s series opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates at loanDepot park.
That will be one sigh of relief Rojas can breathe, knowing he has at least one more year guaranteed.
But beyond that? Nothing is guaranteed yet.
“Personally, we’re really excited that he’s going to vest,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said Tuesday. “In terms of an extension, probably not going to characterize any discussions if they exist.”
Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Marlins don’t want Rojas here long-term. Ng spoke nothing but positives regarding Rojas.
There’s of course his play on the field. Rojas has gone from a defensive replacement and utility player at the start of his career to an everyday shortstop — and a good one at that. He’s hitting .270 this year with a career-high 64 runs scored. His 29 doubles are tied for his single-season career high and his .400 slugging is the highest of his career outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when he had a .496 mark over 40 games.
Defensively, Rojas was a Gold Glove Award finalist last year and has the metrics to be a contender for the award again this year. According to FanGraphs, Rojas’ 5.3 ultimate zone rate, a statistic used to “quantify how many runs a player saved or gave up through their fielding prowess,” ranks second among National League shortstops trailing only the Colorado Rockies’ Trevor Story (5.7). The Pirates’ Kevin Newman is the only other qualified NL shortstop with a UZR rating above five.
But his value extends beyond the field as well. For the second consecutive season, Rojas is the Marlins’ nominee for MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player “who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Rojas is regularly out in the South Florida community, whether in conjunction with the Marlins Foundation or on his own accord.
“I think Miggy is the full package. He really is,” Ng said. “He really does embody all the things that we look for in a player to represent the organization, to represent the sport and that is a big compliment. You just get to watch him on an everyday basis and you understand very quickly what he brings to the table. And it’s not just about making the tough plays. It’s about the consistency that he brings. It’s about the mindset. It’s about talking to the younger players. There’s a lot of facets to it that go beyond the field.”
She later added: “If all players had Miggy’s character and outlook, we’d be ecstatic.”
Rojas would be ecstatic if his career continues in Miami. He tries not to think too much about what the future holds. Doing so would be a disservice to what he needs to do in the present.
That includes playing at his best through Oct. 3, when the Marlins’ season will come to an end.
“I know if we want to play in October and we want to be a winning team and make it to the playoffs, we have to play good in September,” Rojas said. “My focus right now is playing good in September and trying to finish the season strong. I want to be here in Miami for not just next year but hopefully longer than that.”
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