FINAL GRADES: Josh Rojas' Defense Might Have Cemented Future With Seattle Mariners
Third base might be the biggest question mark going into the offseason for the Seattle Mariners. And it's not necessarily because the team's current starter is bad, it's because he had such a confusing season.
After trading Eugenio Suarez last offseason, the M's gave a big role to Josh Rojas in 2024. They platooned him with Luis Urias at the start of the season before Rojas ran with the job on a mostly full-time basis.
The results were mixed.
Defensively, Rojas was one of the best infielders Seattle had. At one point in the season he looked like a potential dark horse for a Gold Glove award.
Offensively, that was a different story.
And with the stark difference in both, it creates an interesting situation at third base in 2025.
Josh Rojas by the numbers
Games played: 143
Hitting stats: .225 BA, 8 HRs, 31 RBIs, 48 Runs, 19 Doubles, 2 Triples, 46 BB, 108 SOs, .304 OBP, .336 SLG, .640 OPS
Defensive stats: 323 TC, 10 Errors, .969 Fielding
Base running stats: 10 SB, 4 CS, 27 MPH Sprint speed
Advanced hitting stats: 91 wRC+, -4.9 BRAA, 5.7% Barrel, 38.2% Hard-Hit, 22% Chase, 24.1% Whiff
Advanced defensive stats: 9 Range (OAA), 85.7 MPH Arm Strength
What I liked
As mentioned before, Rojas' defense was great this season. Which is all the more impressive considering he's played the lion's share of his major league career at either one of the two middle infield spots or right field. It's a testament to his ability to adapt (and to infield coach Perry Hill).
His fielding percentage doesn't jump above the page but his nine outs above replacement is incredible and ranks in the 94th percentile in all of baseball, according to Baseball Savant.
Josh Rojas, barehanded specialist.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) July 6, 2024
A huge moment in this tense, one-run game here in the 9th inning. pic.twitter.com/V89eJtEHGv
Rojas also had an incredible month of April. He batted .293 and hit three of his eight home runs in that month. He also had five RBIs while and scored 10 runs.
When Rojas was at his best, he was a solid slap-stick hitter that got on base at an efficient clip. When he had power to his hits, he was able to leg out doubles and give the team a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the order.
Best game
Rojas' production on offense started to taper off in mid-May. Before then, Rojas had two games toward the beginning of that month where he was showed what he could be at top form.
In two games against the Houston Astros on May 3 and 4, Rojas went a combined 6-for-8 with a double, a triple, an RBI, a stolen base and a walk. He didn't strike out in either game and went a respective 3-for-4 in both.
Rojas failed to cross home plate in either contest. But that was more indicative of the Mariners' general offensive struggles.
Future prospects
Rojas' woes at the plate combined with his defensive efficiency creates an interesting scenario for Seattle at third base.
Rojas is up for arbitration and is projected to earn $4.3 million according to MLB Trade Rumors. That cost might incline Seattle to non-tender him (along with Urias) and try to find another answer for third base. It could do it in-house with a player like Leo Rivas or Dylan Moore. It could slingshot prospect Ben Williamson to the big leagues if the team wants to go way out of the box. Going in-house for a solution might be more likely if the Mariners are unable to move either Mitch Haniger of Mitch Garver and their respective eight-figure salaries.
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman could also be a target for Seattle in the free agent market if it's willing to spend (doubtful, but never say never).
The main hang-up is the offense.
Rojas at his best was a .265 hitter with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 and 2022. His production dipped with Arizona in 2023. In his last 46 games of the year with the Mariners, he batted .272.
If Rojas had an over-.250 average in 2024, then there probably wouldn't be any possibility of him getting non-tendered.
But Seattle was eliminated in the final week of the season for the third time in four years. And the team didn't get any significant offensive production from any of the infield spots in 2024 outside of first base. But that is with the caveat that injuries to shortstop JP Crawford and second baseman Jorge Polanco contributed to that.
The leash for patience might have run out. And that might lead the team searching for an immediate upgrade rather than waiting to see if Rojas can regain his 2021-22/end-of-2023 form.
Final grade: C
C: Rojas' contrast in his offense compared to his defense earns him an average grade in our final rankings.
Rojas at his peak is a solid "B" or "B-plus" player. But his struggles at the plate makes it impossible to give him a grade higher than "C".
Rojas was one of the few players on the team that didn't see a noticeable uptick in offensive production or have a highlight game when Edgar Martinez took over as hitting coach. But he was noticeably more patient at the plate. It's jus unortunate that the stat sheet doesn't show high pitch-count at-bats.
Rojas is one of the few "average" or "below average" players the Mariners could either let go or keep and it not be the right or wrong move.
Offense is the most pressing need for Seattle. But shortstop is the only infield position that's all but guaranteed to remain the same in 2025.
The idea of that much turnover can't be appealing to President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto.
Free agency begins the day after the World Series and the deadline to non-tender players happens in mid-November.
That leaves Dipoto and General Manager Justin Hollander a little over two weeks to make moves before deciding whether or not to non-tender Rojas.
Rojas' fate in the Pacific Northwest might fully depend on what Seattle does or doesn't do in those first two weeks of the offseason.
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