Who's on Short?
It's the Holiday Season 🎅, which means the New Year is right around the corner 🎉, which also means baseball ⚾️ isn't too far behind. Spring Training will quickly creep up the calendar in February and when the Marlins open camp in 2023, a Position that has been locked down for the last 3 Seasons may have some moving parts to it.
Shortstop has been Marlins Leader/unOfficial Captain Miguel Rojas' going into the last 3 years. Miggy-Ro was given the reigns at Short during the 2019 Campaign by Derek Jeter/Don Mattingly & company and has never looked back. Making the absolute most of his first opportunity into becoming a Big League Regular. Batting .277 to go along with a respectable .334 OBP in over 300 Games Played from '19-2021.
Twice, Rojas has Signed Team friendly 2 Year Contract Extensions in Miami, due in large part to the leadership he's brought to the Clubhouse (especially during the 2020 Playoff Season in the middle of the pandemic).
All while Miggy's Glove, which brought him to the Show, has continued to shine bright. Twice he's been a Finalist for the N.L Gold Glove at Shortstop (including 2022).
'22 however, saw the soon to be 34 year old Rojas have his most disappointing Season at the plate in Miami. The Marlins Shortstop's accumulative Offensive Line in 2022 was .236/.283/.323 with a .605 OPS (All Career lows since 2015), and only 36 RBI's in over 140 Games Played last Season.
A quote from Miguel Rojas following 2021.
Could the current longest tenured Marlin, who has played through nagging Injuries the last 2 Seasons, find himself in a Utility Role for the Fish in 2023, instead of being the everyday answer at Shortstop on a Club that's Offensively starved?
From '15 to 2018, Rojas' first 4 Years after being acquired from L.A along with Dee Gordon and Dan Haren for Andrew Heaney, Kiké Hernandez and Austin Barnes, Miggy-Ro was just that, and a terrific Super Utility Player at that. Spotting any and everybody on the Infield (even as a Defensive Replacement over at 1st Base late in Games 👍👍).
We've also heard Rojas' name in Trade Rumors, with the Yankees in August and more recetly the Twins/Red Sox this very Off-Season. With Joey Wendle & Jon Berti capable of filling in all over the Infield as well, do the Fish look to move Rojas? According to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Marlins "certainly would require a Major-League-ready-Player in return".
Have the Marlins shown their hand towards future plans on the Infield since this past August's Trading Deadline? When the Fish acquired SS Prospect Jordan Groshans from the Toronto Blue Jays for Relievers Anthony Bass & Zach Pop. The Marlins have since signed Shortstops to MiLB Deals in the forms of Alex De Goti (Ex Astro), Garrett Hampson (Ex Rockie), and C.J Hinojosa (a Career .300 Hitter in 2 Seasons at AAA) to supplement it's Depth. While also acquiring another SS Prospect in Switch Hitting Xavier Edwards from the Tampa Bay Rays.
We knew of the Marlins "interest" 😉 in Free Agent 3B Justin Turner, before the red-head Signed a 2 year Deal with Boston. Do the Fish look for help on the other side of the Infield, whether via Trade or Free-Agency, and move All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. to his natural SS? Or does the fact Jazz coming off an Injury riddled 2022, sway the Marlins away from having him play a potentially more physically demanding Position??
Injuries are certainly a reason the Marlins are trying to accumulate Depth on that Infield. We saw the effects of a Lineup without Jazz last Season. The Fish certainly need their young Star on the Field. But they could also use another Bat on that Diamond. So who's on Short?
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