This article is part of a series of player reviews for the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a surprising and marvelous year for the team as they won 84 games to make the postseason. They advanced all the way to Game Five of the World Series before bowing out to the Texas Rangers. There are 54 players in all that had at least one at-bat or pitched at least one inning for the team this past season. They are being presented in reverse order of their aWAR (average WAR-Wins Above Replacement) produced, which is the average of Baseball Reference and Fangraphs WAR. These are their season stories.
Josh Rojas, the fan favorite and local valley product that grew up a fan of the D-backs was expected to be a key player for them in the 2023 season. He was their starting third baseman, a position that Arizona had hoped Rojas could stake his claim at and solidify. 47 of his 59 games with Arizona this season came with him at third base. It started off quite well with Rojas establishing himself as a lead-off hitter for Manager Torey Lovullo. Through May 2nd, Rojas was hitting .289 with eight doubles, 16 RBI, and six walks in 99 plate appearances. He was setting the top of the lineup and getting on base.
Unfortunate for him and the Diamondbacks, from May Third to June 18th, Rojas badly slumped. He hit just .183 with a .514 OPS. He managed only 17 hits in 33 games. At this point, the D-backs decided to send him to Triple-A in hopes of helping him rediscover his swing. The 29-year-old was sent down for Emmanuel Rivera.
He then hit the 7-day injured list in the minor leagues for what was lumbar spine inflammation. This continued to be a tough stretch of the season for Rojas. However, he did get into 12 games and hit .255 with a lackluster .694 OPS. Still, once he was recovered, the Arizona Diamondbacks called up Rojas on July 29th to serve once again as the regular third baseman. He played in just two games, going 0-6, before General Manager Mike Hazen made the difficult decision to trade Rojas along with Ryan Bliss and Dominic Canzone to the Seattle Mariners for Closer Paul Sewald.
While it was a tough decision to part with three potential regular contributors, the D-backs knew that if they wanted to make the playoffs or win at all, they had to acquire a closer. Pitching help does not come cheap, especially at the MLB Trade Deadline. With hindsight, this move ended up not only saving the D-backs season, but propelling them to reach the World Series for just the second time in franchise history. Had Hazen not included Rojas in the trade, the D-backs potentially and quite likely don't make the playoffs, let alone sniff the World Series. Sewald solidified the bullpen and pitching staff. Meanwhile, Rojas went on to play quality third base with a slightly-above-average bat for the Mariners.
2024 Status and Outlook:
The Millennium High School, Goodyear Arizona graduate will continue to be a regular presence in the valley during the off-season and Spring Training. Josh Rojas continues to live in Arizona and he and his wife are expecting their first child.
Rojas appears set to be the Mariners regular third baseman and utility player for the next three seasons. He isn't set to be a free agent until after the 2027 season. Meanwhile, Paul Sewald will continue to serve as the Diamondbacks' closer through 2024. Rojas is entering his age-30 season and it remains to be seen if he can continue to produce at the MLB level with his bat.
Regardless, Rojas will continue to be a fan-favorite of the valley. Many fans will hold many memories with him and continue to root for him to do well in the Pacific Northwest. He started his MLB career with the D-backs after coming over in a franchise altering trade (Zack Greinke) and left the D-backs in a franchise altering trade. Baseball has a funny way of doing stuff sometimes, but without Rojas, the Arizona Diamondbacks never make the World Series.
More must-reads: