The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization announced the re-signing of outfielder Mel Rojas Jr., Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net tweets. Rojas entered the pro ranks as a third-round pick of the Pirates in 2010, but he didn’t reach the majors with the Bucs or his next team, the Braves, through 2017. He then went to Korea and has since established himself as a serious offensive threat, having combined for 85 home runs over 1,190 plate appearances. The 29-year-old Rojas totaled 24 HRs and recorded a .322/.381/.530 line across 578 PA in 2019, and had been hoping to parlay that production into a guaranteed contract with a major league team this offseason. Instead, he’ll remain in the KBO.
Yes!
If he does it one more time, he should get an MLB deal in 2021, assuming the CBA is all ironed out.
One of the first games I watched as a lad that really got me into baseball and a lifelong Cubs fan was a game where prior to the game the Cubs traded Mel Rojas (who was the closer at the time), Turk Wendell, and Brian McRae to the Mets for Lance Johnson, Mark Clark, and Manny Alexander.
Anyway, the only thing I really remember seeing on the Lead Off Man discussing the trade was Turk Wendell getting a hug from this sweet old lady fan in the stands and when they interviewed Mel, he honestly didn’t give a crap he was traded.
I’m sure they understand it’s part of the game/business, but it just struck me that Mel Rojas Sr didn’t like playing for the Cubs one bit. He didn’t seem enthused about baseball in general.
As for Lance Johnson whom the WGN team was really excited for, I remember his bat being bigger than him and getting picked off first in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and being the tying run in Arizona.
Memories.