The news on Monday that Derek Jeter was out as the Miami Marlins’ CEO caught many by surprise.
Due to MLB’s lockout of its players over the past three months while negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement take place, Rojas heard about the news as everyone else did because 40-man roster players have not been allowed to have communication with their teams.
And when the lockout ends, Rojas is hoping to have a better understanding about how the decision came about.
“At the end of the day, I have a lot of questions,” Rojas said Monday on an Instagram Live video with Jomboy Media’s Chris Rose, with whom Rojas regularly records a podcast. “There are some things that have to be communicated after all these things are over because we as players need to be respected and willing to be informed of what’s going on. I know not everything is going to be shared with the players, but at the end of the day, at least you want to know.”
Rojas, the longest-tenured player on the Marlins’ roster, built a strong relationship with Jeter over the last four years. The two play the same position, and Rojas looked to him as a mentor as well as an executive as Rojas began to find his voice in the clubhouse. The Marlins have twice extended Rojas under Jeter, with the most recent deal signed this offseason running through the 2023 season.
“He’s always been around,” Rojas told the Miami Herald in August. “You see him around the cage now and around the players a lot. For me, it’s been a huge help because I’m trying to lead a team now, something that he did in New York. I’m just happy for him that he’s the owner of this team now and I can be around him.”
What’s the biggest advice Rojas received from Jeter on that leadership front?
“For me, it’s being able to listen to people and know how to approach different personalities,” Rojas said. “Not everybody’s the same. He played with a lot of egos and a lot of players, different players over the years. You have to understand that not everybody’s the same, and you have to know how to approach them. ... Take the moment and take chances to get to know your teammates.”
Rojas said he sent Jeter a text Monday after Jeter released his statement about the move. In the statement, Jeter said “the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead.” He thanked Jeter for “presenting an an opportunity that I took with a lot of responsibility.”
Rojas, one of eight players on the Marlins’ 40-man roster who predates Jeter’s tenure, was one of the first players who made a public commitment to want to be part of the rebuild orchestrated over the last four years.
“I wanted to be there for this process, for this plan,” Rojas said.
Jeter’s reply to Rojas?
“That I don’t need to thank him,” Rojas said. “He was happy to watch me grow throughout the years and he promised me that we’re going to talk in person.”
