Miguel Rojas did not wait for the offseason. Minutes after the Milwaukee Brewers finished sweeping the Dodgers out of the National League Championship Series on Thursday night, the 37-year-old infielder stood in the clubhouse in his uniform and cleats and told reporters he was done playing.
“This is it as a player,” Rojas said.
A career that ended exactly where it started
Rojas debuted with the Dodgers in 2014, then was traded to Miami in the deal that brought Andrew Heaney to Los Angeles. He spent eight seasons with the Marlins from 2015 through 2022 before returning to Los Angeles ahead of the 2023 season.
The final numbers: 13 major league seasons, 1,401 regular-season games, 1,048 hits, a .260 average, 61 home runs, 386 RBIs and a .677 OPS. In the postseason he played 26 games and hit .233.
He won two World Series rings with the Dodgers, in 2024 and 2025. His signature moment came in the second one, a ninth-inning solo home run off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman that tied Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. He also preserved Clayton Kershaw’s only no-hitter with a play and throw at third base.
His last plate appearance was a single in the third inning of NLCS Game 3 on Oct. 14. He started Game 4 and batted seventh but never got to the plate. Max Muncy pinch-hit for him after Milwaukee pulled left-hander Shane Drohan for right-hander Dustin May.
He had left the door open, and the sweep closed it
The Dodgers re-signed Rojas to a one-year deal for 2026 with a shared understanding that he would likely retire after it and move into the front office. He softened on that during the season and suggested he might come back as a player in 2027 if Los Angeles won a third straight title.
Milwaukee took care of that in four games.
“This is it. I’m moving on with the next chapter in my life,” he said. He also said the last four years in Los Angeles changed his life, and admitted it was hard to take the cleats off.
He was in tears for most of it, which is not a surprise for anyone who watched him play. Rojas was never the most talented player in a Dodgers clubhouse that has had plenty of them. He was the one who ran out every ground ball at 37 and made the throw from third base that saved somebody else’s no-hitter.
What comes next is not settled
Reports differ on his next role. Dodger Blue reported he will move into a player development job in the Dodgers front office in 2027. Sports Illustrated reported no role is confirmed, that he wants to stay with the organization as a coach without committing to a start date, and that he hopes to manage someday.
Nobody has announced a title. Rojas addressed the clubhouse on Thursday after Dave Roberts spoke, which tells you roughly where he stands in that building regardless of what the job ends up being called.
Los Angeles finishes 2026 without a third consecutive championship. Rojas finishes with two, a Game 7 home run, and a retirement announcement he made with his spikes still on.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.