MACK - DEEP DIVE - 1B/RF/2B - JOSE ROJAS - GAME FIXING

 

The Mets signed Jose Rojas, an $820,000 slugger who led International League in home runs in 2025.

Turns 33 in February    LHH    5-10    200    1B/RF/3B/2B

MLB Career (2021-22) -   -1.8-WAR, 224-AB, 6-HR, .188

2025: AAA (NYY) - 517-PA, 108-K, 65-BB, 32-HR, 105-RBI, .287/.379/.599/.978

José Rojas is a 32-year-old American professional baseball player, primarily known as a versatile infielder and outfielder.

He bats left-handed and throws right-handed, standing at 5'10" and weighing 200 lbs.

Born on February 24, 1993, in Anaheim, California, Rojas has had a journeyman career in MLB and its affiliates, with a brief stint in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

While he has seen limited major league action, he's established himself as a power hitter in the minors.

Rojas attended Anaheim High School in Anaheim, California, but went undrafted out of high school.

He began his college career at Fullerton College (2013–2014) before transferring to Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, where he played for two seasons (2015–2016).

Los Angeles Angels (2016–2023):

Selected by the Angels in the 36th round (1,086th overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Rojas progressed through the minors, posting strong numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2019 (.293/.362/.577, 31 HR, 107 RBI over 126 games).

He made his MLB debut on April 2, 2021, appearing in 23 games across 2021 and 2022 with a .130 batting average, no home runs, and 8 strikeouts in 23 at-bats.

He was designated for assignment in 2023 and became a free agent.

KBO Stint (2024):

Rojas played overseas with the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization, showcasing his power potential before returning to affiliated baseball.

New York Yankees Tenure (2024–2025):

Rojas signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on March 18, 2024, including a spring training invite. He spent time with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, slashing .254/.359/.561 with 18 HR and 57 RBI in 67 games that year. However, he opted out and was released around June 1, 2024, due to a contract clause.

He re-signed with the Yankees on another minor-league deal on March 18, 2025. In 2025, Rojas had a breakout season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .287/.379/.599 with a league-leading 32 home runs), earning him consideration for International League MVP.

He did not appear in any MLB games for the Yankees and opted out again in late 2025.

Current Status (November 2025):

On November 10, 2025, Rojas signed a minor-league contract with the New York Mets, including a spring training invitation.

Rojas is a corner infielder (primarily 1B/3B) who can also play 2B and the corner outfield spots (LF/RF), though he's not a strong defender overall and has never played shortstop or center field regularly. His value lies in his lefty power bat—he's a classic "quad-A" player with minor-league pop that hasn't fully translated to the majors yet. In the minors, he's excelled in RBI production and extra-base hits, but his MLB sample size is small. 

MACK – Interesting…

The Mets do not need a AAA first baseman (Ryan Clifford, Nick Lorusso);

The Mets do not need a AAA second baseman (Jett Williams, D’Andre Smith, Jared Young).

And, sure as hell, the Mets don’t need a starting AAA outfielder (Carson Benge, Nick Morabito, AJ Ewing.

What both the Mets and AAA-Syracuse does need is a full time DH that can hit 32 homer runs while taking on all pitchers.

My guess, Rojas will fulfill this role on one of these two teams.

The alleged pitch-rigging scheme of 2 MLB players

Emmanuel Clase

The Athlete

At 3:16 p.m. ET on April 26, just before he entered the game in the eighth inning, Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase texted an associate who was sitting in the stands at Progressive Field. The two then held a two-minute phone call despite MLB rules prohibiting players from using their phones during games.

Four minutes later, a group of bettors won about $11,000 by wagering that a particular pitch by Clase would register at slower than 97.95 mph. After the game, Clase and the associate rendezvoused at Clase’s residence, not the only instance of the bettor visiting Clase at his home after allegedly profiting off his predetermined pitches.

Clase and fellow Guardian pitcher Luis Ortiz were charged Sunday with wire fraud and several counts of conspiracy. The pitch-speed scheme was alleged in a 23-page indictment outlining the charges.

As Clase was racking up league-leading saves totals and All-Star Game appearances, he was allegedly spiking 57-foot sliders to benefit a group of co-conspirators. Clase and Ortiz face up to 65 years in prison if convicted.

MACK – this is an incredible story. Read it if you subscribe to The Athlete. If you don’t, this story is worth it alone to pick up one of there special one-year offers.