Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Despite being optioned, Phillies still believe their best team includes Johan Rojas

Johan Rojas was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. (Grace Del Pizzo/Phillies Nation)

The Philadelphia Phillies optioned Johan Rojas to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Monday, but there seems to be a real belief that the 23-year-old will still play a role as the team pursues a World Series title.

With shortstop Trea Turner getting activated Monday, the Phillies needed to clear a 26-man roster spot. Rojas being sent to Triple-A was the corresponding move.

“He took it very well, very professionally and I think he’s gonna go down there and work at it,” manager Rob Thomson said Monday afternoon.

While it became clear in recent days that Rojas was probably going to be the one to go when Turner returned from the injured list, there still was a chance that either Cristian Pache or David Dahl would instead be designated for assignment. Thomson explained why the Phillies ultimately elected to option Rojas.

“Well, they’re out of options, so we would probably lose them,” Thomson said. “Plus the fact that this is a good opportunity for Ro to develop a little bit, and get a little bit of a reset and relax and be able to do the things that we’re asking him to do.”

Rojas hit .302 with a .771 OPS in his first 59 MLB games a year ago after being called up from Double-A Reading, but he did so with an unsustainable .410 batting average on balls in play, 110 points higher than what’s considered the average.

When the postseason rolled around, Rojas was exposed offensively, recording just four hits in 43 at-bats (.093).

Despite a rocky Spring Training where he debuted a new approach offensively, Rojas made the Opening Day roster for the Phillies, which didn’t seem to be a given at the outset of the offseason. But Rojas was hitting just .235 with two home runs, 19 RBIs and a meager .566 OPS before his demotion. He walked just seven times in 196 plate appearances, an alarmingly low amount for someone who isn’t getting a ton of hits.

So there was a procedural component to this, but the Phillies sent Rojas to Allentown with some pretty clear areas that they expect to see improvement from him at.

“There were some things that we explained to him that we need him to do,” Thomson said. “Cut down his swing, use the field and be able to bunt.

“So those are the things that we need, because if he’s doing what he can do on offense, which is just be a table setter, really … have good at-bats, be able to move the ball, move runners … with him playing center field, that is probably the best version of our club.”

The Phillies had Rojas bunt at least once a game during Grapefruit League play this year, as they tried to find ways to get his explosive speed on the basepaths more frequently. So why does it feel like Rojas hasn’t really bunted during the regular season?

“Well, he was, and he’s not getting them down,” Thomson noted. “So he needs to do it in a game and there’s probably a little less pressure and a little better opportunity to do it at Triple-A.”

In addition to struggles at the plate, Rojas wasn’t nearly as sharp in the field or on the basepaths as he was a year ago.

Rojas posted a staggering 15 defensive runs saved and six outs above average across 392 innings for the Phillies last regular season, and for as much as he struggled at the plate in the playoffs, still made some game-changing plays in the field.

Across 481 1/3 innings in 2024, he’s posted one defensive run saved and two outs above average. It’s not bad defense, but there were definitely some plays where Rojas overran balls earlier in the season. And there’s not much of a margin for error with Rojas — his meal ticket is his world-class defense.

Thomson has maintained all year that the Phillies have generally been happy with Rojas’ defense, and that you have to remember that if he narrowly misses out on catching a ball, most defenders wouldn’t have even gotten to it. The Phillies still believe Rojas is a Gold Glove-caliber defender, if not better.

But on top of making some adjustments at the plate, there’s definitely some work to be done as a baserunner.

Rojas has stolen 14 bases in 16 attempts this season, but he also has been picked off three times. He was thrown out at home plate in top of the 10th inning of Friday evening’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, when he would have given the Phillies the all-important two-run lead going into the home half of the inning. After the game, Thomson acknowledged both that Rojas should have had a better secondary lead, and that he had already addressed his feelings with the center fielder.

When asked Monday if there’s anything beyond his work at the plate that the Phillies want Rojas to improve on, Thomson gave an interesting answer.

“Just good at-bats, really,” Thomson said. “And yeah, I mean, concentrate on reading pitchers, studying pitchers, pitchers’ moves, pitchers’ tendencies, time to the plate, good secondary leads, that type of thing. But most of it is probably on the offensive side.”

What happens from here is unclear. It’s not a guarantee that Rojas goes to Triple-A and does enough for the Phillies to feel confident about him being the starting center fielder for a team who is never going to have a better opportunity to win a World Series than this year.

Even if Rojas does, if the Phillies make a major trade for an outfielder, that might block Rojas’ path back to regular playing time this year. Heck, teams asked about Rojas in trades last year, and probably will again this year. Whose to say Rojas will for sure still be in the Phillies organization in two months?

But the plan, at least for now, is that this will be a detour for Rojas. The Phillies think if Rojas makes the necessary adjustments at Triple-A, he’ll be back as a key contributor later this season.

“Absolutely,” Thomson said without hesitation. “As I said, if he’s doing that, the things that we want him to do, with him playing center field, I believe that’s the best version of us.”