The White Sox have reached an agreement with infielder Josh Rojas on a one-year deal, as reported by Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The financial details of the contract have not been disclosed.
Rojas, who will turn 31 in June, was let go by the Mariners in November, a surprising move considering his performance earlier in the 2024 season. After being a significant part of the trade that sent Paul Sewald to Arizona at the 2023 trade deadline, Rojas batted .272/.321/.400 (105 wRC+) in the final stretch of the season with the Mariners. He started the 2024 campaign strong, hitting .318/.408/.530 (175 wRC+) through April. However, his performance declined significantly afterwards, hitting just .208/.285/.301 (75 wRC+) for the remainder of the season, including a rough .184/.265/.272 (62 wRC+) in the last two months as the Mariners fell out of playoff contention.
Despite Rojas’ struggles at the plate, the Mariners chose not to offer him a contract for the 2025 season, a decision influenced by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’s projection of a $4.3MM salary. Nevertheless, Rojas became an intriguing option in a thin free agent market for infielders this winter. While his hitting has been average to slightly below-average since becoming a regular player in Arizona in 2021, Rojas has shown versatility in the field and strong defensive numbers in recent years. Since 2023, Rojas has +8 Outs Above Average at second base and +6 OAA at third base. While Defensive Runs Saved rates him slightly lower, he is still considered an above-average fielder overall with +2 DRS at second base and +5 at third base in the past two seasons. Rojas also has experience at shortstop and in the outfield corners in the majors, although his defensive metrics in those positions are not as impressive.
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