MLB Network Host Suggests Dodgers Shortstop Could Take Over as Marlins' Manager

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have just picked up their club option on shortstop Miguel Rojas, but Matt Vasgersian went out on a limb and said the Miami Marlins may bring him on as a player-manager.

Sep 16, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas (11) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins have the last manager vacancy remaining across MLB, and it may be time for them to get creative in terms of how they fill it.

On Tuesday's episode of "Hot Stove" on MLB Network, the crew was asked to make bold predictions for the offseason as it gets underway. Matt Vasgersian came out and said the next manager of the Marlins would come from the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization.

That isn't a particularly wild prediction on the surface, considering Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough has been publicly floated as a candidate for the position. What Vasgersian said next, however, was certainly bold.

"Don't sleep on somebody like Miguel Rojas," Vasgersian said. "You want bold? Player-manager."

Two more BOLD predictions from Matty V!! ⬇️ https://t.co/Lu3gjcN7NE pic.twitter.com/Lm8jOwHeRI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 5, 2024

Rojas played for the Marlins from 2015 to 2022, going from utility infielder to everyday shortstop. Across those eight seasons, Rojas racked up 707 hits, 38 home runs, 260 RBI, 293 runs, 46 stolen bases and an 11.9 WAR.

Miami traded Rojas to Los Angeles in January 2023, and he has since gone on to win a World Series ring with the Dodgers.

Rojas was banged up this postseason, missing the NLCS due to a lingering adductor injury. He returned to log one start in the Fall Classic, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 2 versus the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers picked up their $5 million club option on Rojas for 2025, although he will need to undergo offseason surgery to address a sports hernia. The Venezuelan veteran will turn 36 years old before the start of next season.

Rojas hit .283 with six home runs, 36 RBI, eight stolen bases, a .748 OPS and a career-high 3.4 WAR across 103 games in 2024.

It remains to be seen what kind of trade package the Dodgers would be looking for in return for Rojas, if the Marlins were to seriously consider bringing him on as a player-manager. While Vasgersian only appeared to be speculating, he is one of the most well-respected and experienced voices in baseball media.

Vasgersian's co-host, Harold Reynolds, posited that the Marlins would go down a different path, hiring a manager who was not a former player. He even threw out MLB Network broadcaster Brian Kenny as an option.

The Marlins may not be that desperate at this point, but they certainly aren't in a great spot at the moment. Skip Schumaker walked at the end of the 2024 season, leaving Miami without a skipper heading into the winter.

It seemed like Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz was a perfect fit to take over, but he took himself out of the running on Friday.

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