The White Sox are in settlement with infielder Josh Rojas on a one-year deal, in accordance with a report from Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The monetary phrases of the deal will not be but identified.
Rojas, 31 in June, was non-tendered by the Mariners again in November. It was an consequence few would have anticipated early within the 2024 season. Rojas had been a key piece of the commerce that despatched nearer Paul Sewald to Arizona on the 2023 commerce deadline and had hit a good .272/.321/.400 (105 wRC+) down the stretch with the Mariners. He adopted that up with a torrid begin to the 2024 marketing campaign as properly, hitting .318/.408/.530 (175 wRC+) via the tip of April. Sadly for Rojas, the wheels got here off utterly from there. The remainder of the best way, Rojas hit a paltry .208/.285/.301 (75 wRC+), together with a brutal .184/.265/.272 (62 wRC+) slash line over the season’s remaining two months whereas the Mariners slipped out of the playoff image.
That robust offensive season was sufficient for the Mariners to determine in opposition to tendering him a contract for the 2025 season MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected would’ve earned Rojas $4.3MM. Even so, a weak free agent marketplace for infielders made Rojas instantly one of many extra intriguing lower-level free agent choices obtainable on this winter’s market. Whereas Rojas has usually been a mean to barely below-average hitter within the majors since turning into a full-time participant in Arizona again in 2021, he’s an versatile fielder who has posted wonderful defensive numbers in every of the previous two seasons. For the reason that begin of the 2023 marketing campaign, Rojas has +8 Outs Above Common at second base and +6 OAA at third base. Defensive Runs Saved is barely much less bullish on Rojas however nonetheless charges him as an above common fielder total, with +2 DRS at second and +5 at third during the last two years. Rojas additionally has expertise at shortstop and within the outfield corners on the large league degree, although with out the identical spectacular metrics backing his efficiency up.
Extra to return…
