#infield-defense

#infield-defense

I'm gonna let the tail wag the dog for a minute and say that, because IKF cost the Red Sox real money to sign, and because the Red Sox were willing to give it up at this time, the odds they still believe they can trade for a Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw (or Isaac Paredes, Ketel Marte, etc.), seem at least somewhat reduced.

Entering the offseason, standing pat wasn't an option for the Blue Jays, who excelled in almost every facet this October. Investing in pitching at the start of the offseason showed Toronto's commitment to improving its existing weaknesses and the holes left by players who departed in free agency. Inevitably, the Blue Jays will also have to address the offensive hole Bo Bichette has left on the roster before pitchers and catchers report in February.

The primary reason the Nationals should look to sign Rojas is his premium defense. For almost his entire career, Rojas has been a premium defender at shortstop and second base. This past season, Rojas' outs above average ranked in the 91st percentile of all qualified players. While defensive statistics like outs above average can fluctuate from season to season for many players, Rojas has consistently been an elite performer in this metric. He has ranked around the 90th percentile since 2021.

García hasn't played anywhere other than second base since the end of 2022. He got a few months of shortstop run that year but clearly wasn't cut out for that position. He's not a particularly good second baseman either. Defensive Runs Saved has graded him negatively in three straight years. Statcast's Outs Above Average gave him above-average marks in 2024 but has had him as a subpar defender in every other season of his career.