The MLB offseason has been in full swing and while not a lot of major trades have happened (thanks, Los Angeles Dodgers), players have been active in their own ways with the time off. Especially for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Star first baseman Bryce Harper was last seen in a home run derby with who else but Mr. Beast and Big Justice of the infamous Costco Guys. Ace Zack Wheeler was snubbed for the NL Cy Young Award in favor of Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale. Regular season MVP Nick Castellanos, according to That Ball's Outta Here, is just purely enjoying life, as only he can.
But what about some of the players who could potentially be on the chopping block for the main roster? A potential demotion to the minor leagues could be in order to make room for (hopefully) some key acquisitions or even a trade including pieces like Taijuan Walker, David Dahl, and speedy elite fielder Johan Rojas.
Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is making the most of his first audition for next season
Well, to make sure he is not in those talks but rather getting ready in the red pinstripes for the 2025 season, Rojas has been playing outside the country in the Dominican Republic Winter League for the Gigantes del Cibao. Players like Julio Rodriguez, Junior Caminero, Ronny Mauricio and Jorge Mateo all played in the prior season for this league, so this is a pretty popular league among MLB players.
So far, Rojas has more hits than games played, with 13 games played so far with the Gigantes and 15 hits to show for it. Three of those hits have been doubles, a lone home run which is a promising sign for a player not known too much for his power, and already eight stolen bases with a .289 batting average.
Even with the small sample size thus far, his OPS of .755 trumps his .601 OPS with the Phillies last season, putting to bed at least some of the doubts about his offense heading into the new season.
Some notable names play alongside Rojas in this team, from Cincinnati Reds rookie Noelvi Marte to San Francisco Giants reliever Camilo Doval to newly named New York Mets outfielder Jose Siri. And with these solid major leaguers, Rojas is starting to make a name for himself in this league.
In looking at one of Rojas' doubles, where he was able to secure an RBI and tie the game at six runs a piece, you can tell he is being patient and waiting for the right pitch to let loose on — something a lot of the Phillies hitters can use to learn over the offseason.
Nonetheless, this offseason for the Phillies will be a wild one. Whatever happens, fans should at least breathe a slight sigh of relief that one of their young players is improving exactly where he needs to be. Already great at fielding, Johan Rojas will be just fine if he stays on the main roster.