When you’re coming off a 121-loss season, it’s really about the little wins. That’s what the Chicago White Sox got to open 2025, signing former Seattle Mariners utility infielder Josh Rojas to a one-year deal, and playing spoiler to the rival Chicago Cubs in the process.
Rojas, 30, is not only capable of playing multiple positions on the diamond, but does so at a very high level — a skillset especially valuable to a White Sox roster that’s very much in flux heading into 2025 with a lot of questions and very few set-in-stone answers. Last year, he appeared at second and third base, left field, and even got one game in at first (although that seems like more of a desperation play).
The bat isn’t mind-blowing, but he’s still an average to slightly below-average player at the plate. Last season in Seattle, he slashed .225/.304/.336 but fared much better against righties, evidenced by a 300-point difference in his OPS against righties and lefties. He makes sense as a platoon guy, but given the makeup of the Sox roster, he could get a longer leash and be an everyday player in Chicago.
Rojas is a former 26th-round pick of the Houston Astros out of the University of Hawaii and, after being traded to the Diamondbacks as part of the Zack Greinke deal in 2019, made his big-league debut with Arizona late that summer. He was then dealt to Seattle at the 2023 trade deadline in the agreement that sent All-Star closer Paul Sewald to the desert.
The rival Cubs were reportedly hot on Rojas as they looked to build out a more complete bench but, instead, he chose the White Sox. It’s a nice win for first-year manager Will Venable and GM Chris Getz, and it isn’t even the first time they’ve stolen something from the North Siders this winter. The club brought in Chicagoland native and former Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman to a one-year deal this winter, adding an established on-base guy who turns in professional ABs.
Tauchman rounds out an outfield mix that features (at least, for now) former All-Star Luis Robert in center and Andrew Benintendi in left. Fangraphs has Rojas slotted in at third for the time being, alongside Brooks Baldwin at short, Lenyn Sosa at second, and Andrew Vaughn at first. But, like we said, there could be a lot of moving pieces as the Sox look to hopefully improve on their disastrous 2024 showing.
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