Pirates Sign Player to Minor League Deal
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates made a number of moves recently, including signing a player to a minor league deal.
Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates signed utlityman José Rojas to a minor league deal, and that they would assign him to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates have signed utilityman Jose Rojas to a minor-league deal. He will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) July 25, 2024
Rojas, 31, had a .920 OPS in 67 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees' system. He's played parts of two seasons with the Angels in 2021-22.
Rojas hails from Anaheim, Calif., playing for Anaheim High School. Hen then played for nearby Fullerton College at the junior college level and Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., who play in the NAIA.
His hometown team, the Los Angeles Angels, took him in the 36th Round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He played in the minors through 2016-2019, as the MLB cancelled the 2020 season for the minor leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Angels added him to their 40-man roster ahead of the 2021 season, where he made his debut.
Rojas played in 61 games with the Angels that season, including April-June, some of July and then the end of the season, September-October.
He hit .208 in 2021, with 35 hits in 168 at-bats, 14 doubles, six home runs, 15 RBI, two stolen bases and 15 walks to 50 strikeouts. He also had a .277 on-base percentage, a .676 OPS and slugged .399.
Rojas played for the Angels again in 2022, but struggled, hitting .125 in 57 games, with just seven hits in 56 at-bats.
The Angels designated him for assignment, where he cleared waivers and went to Triple-A Salt Lake. They designated him for assignment again in September 2022, where the San Francisco Giants claimed him off waivers.
He signed a contract that following offseason with Doosan Bears in Doosan in the Republic of Korea, the KBO League, playing for them in 2023 and hitting .257.
Rojas spent time with Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, before the New York Yankees signed him to a minor league contract.
He played in 67 games for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders this season, hitting .254 with 58 hits in 228 at-bats. He also had 14 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs and 57 RBI, plus 38 walks to 60 strikeouts, along with a .359 on-base percentage, a .561 sluggin percentage and a .920 OPS.
The Yankees released him on July 14, allowing the Pirates to sign him.
Rojas has played numerous positions in the infield and outfield, making him a valuable utlityman for the Pirates going forward if they want to call him up to the MLB.
DOMINIC CAMPBELL