The Phillies’ Johan Rojas is reportedly available via trade. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
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For a micro-moment, the Philadelphia Phillies looked like they had their centerfielder of the future in Johan Rojas, whose defensive metrics rate towards the top in baseball.
But Rojas never established himself at the plate, got demoted to the minors last season and promptly faded from the Phillies’ plan.
Now, the 25-year-old is available via a trade, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.
None of this should be a shock. Rojas spent the final two months of the 2025 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after hitting .237 with very little pop in 191 games that spanned a season and a half.
It was July 2023 when Rojas arrived in Philly and instantly made an impact with his glove, pulling off this double-play beaut in his big-league debut:
Soon thereafter, Rojas became the Phillies’ primary option in center and hit .302 in his rookie year. He regressed over the next two seasons, failing to get on base enough to unleash his biggest weapon — his blazing speed. His .280 OBP in 71 games last season is what led to his minor-league demotion.
Now, with the Phils putting Rojas on the trade market, it pretty much guarantees that the team will pursue a centerfielder this offseason. They could target a reunion with free agent Harrison Bader on a multi-year contract or sign a bounce-back guy in Cedric Mullins to a one-year deal, as Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation noted. Or maybe the Phillies go bigger and include Rojas in a blockbuster deal for Twins CF Byron Buxton.
The return for Rojas alone would not yield much — maybe a journeyman reliever or a lower-tier minor leaguer, but definitely not a pedigree prospect. However, including Rojas in package as a secondary piece could make for a deal-maker. And because of his defensive wizardry, th kid still has value, which grows exponentially if he learns to get on base more frequently to utilize his speed.
And FWIW: Rojas is currently showing an advanced approach playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, where he’s hitting .375 with a .490 OBP, five stolen bases and two home runs.
If or when Rojas gets traded, Phillies fans will never forget when he did this in the 2023 NLDS:
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonystitt/2025/11/12/this-forgotten-phillies-of-available-via-trade-report/
