Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame announcement that he is stepping down as CEO of Marlins surprised most of the baseball world on Monday. Among those caught unprepared? Miguel Rojas in Miami.
Rojas, the current Marlin with the longest term, spoke to Chris Rose of Jomboy Media after the news of Jeter’s departure and expressed gratitude for some of the moves the club has made this off-season, then admitted that he had not seen Jeter leave.
“I am disappointed that I will no longer have Derek Jeter on my team,” Rojas said. “When you have a relationship with someone like him – the first thing I remember is the things he said when he came in 2018. He offered me and the boys a plan … one of the things I have to take away from all this is the integrity of man. Derek Jeter’s integrity, on and off the field … I’m obviously disappointed I don’t have him anymore. “
Rojas praised the team’s signature with pitcher Sandy Alcantara to extend the contract and believes the franchise is moving in the right direction before the lockout begins. Joel Sherman from The New York Post Jeter announced that he had entered the lockout, believing that there would be an additional $ 10- $ 15 million that Marlins would be able to spend on the 2022 list. However, this strategy was reported to have “evaporated” during the lockout, leading to until Jeter’s decision to leave the franchise.
Rojas was unsure about the team’s financial situation, but said he thought many questions remained unanswered.
“I don’t know about promises of a better salary or anything like that,” Rojas said. “I just heard something they said – that it’s time to take the next step. It is time to take the next step in this “building” they promised. … It was time to make a move to get not only a better team, but also better quality up and down in the organization. I don’t know what happened. “
Rojas has spent the last seven seasons with Marlins and signed a two-year contract extension for $ 10 million this offseason. In 132 games last year, Rojas hit .265 / .322 / .392 with nine home runs and 13 stolen bases.
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