Once upon a time, there was reason to believe that Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas would be the Miami Marlins' double play duo of the future. Chisholm was seen as a player with star potential, and while Rojas was nothing more than a decent infielder, he was seen as a tremendous leader and clubhouse influence.
Well, things didn't exactly work out as planned. Rojas was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2023 season, breaking up that duo. He might not have proven to be the clubhouse leader he once was viewed as.
Chisholm was very critical of Rojas last spring, saying, "You're not a good captain, you're not a good person. You're not even a good athlete at this point." Chisholm had issues with the way Rojas, the team's de facto captain, was leading the team and wasn't shy in voicing his frustrations once Rojas was wearing another uniform.
Chisholm's latest revelation to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic ($) shows why he wasn't a fan of Rojas and why other teams should be concerned.
"Marlins infielder Miguel Rojas did not see artistry. Rojas saw a flashy rookie who needed to be put in his place. That meant taking a pair of those custom cleats and cutting them up with scissors. That meant ruining another pair of shoes by filling them with milk. 'Childish' clubhouse hazing is how the incident was described by a person in the Marlins clubhouse, who requested anonymity to speak candidly."
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Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s feud with Miguel Rojas paints Rojas as a player nobody should want to be around
I mean, where do I even begin here? Chisholm, trying to be himself, had 20 custom pairs of cleats that he bought and designed himself. For whatever reason, Rojas saw that as a sign that Chisholm had to be put in his place and ruin at least a couple of those pairs of expensive cleats. Chisholm didn't do anything other than have fun cleats that he felt a connection with, and Rojas felt the need to destroy them.
Chisholm became the person and player he was because he never had a problem with being himself, so it's good that he now feels free to do just that without Rojas present to disturb him.
As for Rojas, how can anyone read this and not feel uncomfortable? Granted, this is only one side of the story. Rojas is now in a veteran-led Dodgers clubhouse that won't tolerate any of Rojas' alleged antics, but how can any team, particularly a younger one, feel comfortable with the idea of bringing a person like Rojas aboard knowing about these allegations?
It's one thing to be a leader and tell a younger player how things are in the major leagues. It's another thing to think you can dictate how someone else lives their life and be a bully. Rojas was nothing short of a bully from Chisholm's perspective. Fortunately, Chisholm has found a home in the Bronx where he can express and be himself.