The Dodgers are working to bring back Miguel Rojas for another championship run, and they’ve got their biggest star doing the recruiting.
Shohei Ohtani made a direct pitch to the pending free agent shortstop during their World Series celebration, pleading with him to stick around for 2025. Based on Rojas’s response, it sounds like the recruiting effort worked.
“I think one of the coolest things that happened in my life, so far. I hit the homer, right? And everybody’s kind of like on top of me, right there in front of the dugout,” Rojas told Chris Rose Sports.
“But then, Shohei, he’s hitting next, right? He popped it up to left, to make it two outs in the inning. Came back to the dugout, and I’m by the back rack, like laying my helmet, and Shohei came to me and he say, Miggy, you can’t retire next year. You’re playing with me for 10 more years. And I got a picture of him kind of like holding me, and telling me that I can’t retire next year, that I have to play for 10 more years. And I say, Shohei, I’m old, and I don’t know if I can play for 10 more years, but I’ll play with you next year, for sure.”
That’s about as clear as it gets from a guy who wasn’t sure he had much baseball left in him.
What makes this interesting is the timing. Rojas also revealed that Ohtani took rapper Drake’s social media trolling after Game 5 personally, using it as fuel for his performance in the clincher. You don’t usually share those kinds of clubhouse details about someone you’re not planning to play with again.
The 36-year-old shortstop has been exactly what the Dodgers needed – steady defense, veteran leadership, and clutch moments when they matter most. He’s won championships in two of his three seasons during this second stint with the organization.
Sure, there are other options out there. Both the Yankees and Mets need shortstop depth, and one last decent payday might be waiting if Rojas wants to test the market.
But why leave a good thing? The Dodgers are positioned for another title run, and Rojas has found the perfect role on a historically great team. Sometimes the best move is staying put.
All things considered, when the best player in baseball personally asks you to stick around for a three-peat attempt, that’s pretty compelling recruiting.
