The Chicago Cubs appear to be showing interest in former Seattle Mariners utility-man Josh Rojas.
UPDATE: Utility-man Josh Rojas signed a one-year deal with crosstown rival the Chicago White Sox per Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
The Chicago Cubs are still looking to add more depth to their roster and have done so far this off season. The most recent depth addition came when the Chicago Cubs sent former top prospect Matt Mervis to the Miami Marlins in exchange for utility-man Vidal Bruján. Adding Vidal Bruján gives the Cubs so much needed depth for the roster with a team that needs someone with the ability to play everywhere given some of their injuries. With infielder Nico Hoerner expected to miss sometime in April Bruján can fill in over at second base until Hoerner’s return. The Cubs now appear to be showing interest in former Seattle Mariners third basemen Josh Rojas according to Mark Feinsand.
Josh Rojas
The 30-year-old Rojas had a down year with the Seattle Mariners last season which ultimately led to them not tendering him a contract for 2025 and making him a free agent. In 142 games for the Seattle Mariners last season Rojas had a total of 95 hits, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HRs, 31 RBI 10 stolen bases, for a .225/.304/.336 for an OPS and OPS+ of .641 and 91.
Rojas at the plate did show some promise with finishing in the 89th percentile for Chase percentage at 22% meaning he doesn’t chase out of the zone. As well as being in the 84th percentile for squaring the ball up. And for his defense Rojas measured in the 94th percentile for his range at third base.
What Rojas can bring to the Cubs
The Cubs already have most of their infield set with first base being occupied by Michael Busch, second to be Nico Hoerner’s job once he returns from the injured list, shortstop is lockdown by Dansby Swanson, that leaves third base (Rojas’s natural position) as being the last open spot. However, I used the word “open” very loosely because President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has definitively stated that number one overall prospect in the organization Matt Shaw will have the most reps at trying to win the starting job at third base. Hoyer who commented on Shaw’s ability to play third said:
“He can play second well, he can play third well,” Hoyer said of Shaw’s comfort defensively. “Right now, obviously, we’re going to give him a long look at third after we traded (Isaac) Paredes. Making room for young players is really important. He has to earn that job. I’m not going to gift him that job on a conference call in the middle of December, but certainly with what he’s done in the minor leagues since we’ve had him, he’s played really well.
“His arrow is really pointing up. I do think it’s important – just like we did last year with (Pete Crow-Armstrong) – you’ve got to give young players some runway and some ability to play.”
If signed by the Cubs Rojas would figure to look for a job on the Cubs bench for the 2025 season. As of now FanGraphs projects the Cubs bench for Opening Day to be a combination of Carson Kelly/Miguel Amaya (whoever isn’t catching on a particular day), Gage Workman who the Cubs acquired in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, newly acquired Vidal Bruján, and outfielder Alexander Canario. With Rojas’s ability to also be a utility-man as well as being a left-handed bat for off the bench he has a leg up over Canario who a right-handed bat off the bench is and only plays the outfield.
Josh Rojas currently holds what is called “Super Two” status in the Major Leagues. What that means according to MLB.com is:
Players typically must accrue three years of Major League service time — with one year of service time equaling 172 days on the 26-man roster or the Major League injured list — to become eligible for salary arbitration. Super Two is a designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for arbitration before reaching three years of service time.
To qualify for the Super Two designation, players must rank in the top 22 percent, in terms of service time, among those who have amassed between two and three years in the Majors. The specific cutoff date varies on a year-to-year basis.
All this would mean for any team trying to sign Josh Rojas is that his “free agent’ clock is slightly behind than those players who came up and had a hole year service time under their belt.
According to Spotrac Rojas is projected to make a little over $9.7 million and according to Brad Wakai of Sports Illustrated Rojas is looking for:
“a two-year, roughly $19.4 million deal this winter.”
At that price and that length, I would stir clear if I were the Cubs who have shown so far this off season, they are not willing to spend a decent amount of money. Signing a player like Josh Rojas would require that the Cubs spend some money and for that amount even given his versatility which the Cubs could use, with the level of play he played at last season and with him figuring to move into a bench role, would be too expensive of a move for the Chicago Cubs to make.
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