After spring beef, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas are World Series opponents

There is always a Marlins tie-in. Over the last three decades, various team executives have traded veteran players away from Miami in an effort to perpetually get younger or less expensive. Quite often, the move rejuvenates a player's career, or at least lands them in a more competitive situation.

The World Series starting on Friday between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will feature a bunch of familiar faces, including a pair who have become fierce rivals.

Perhaps nobody outside the Miami metropolitan area cares about this grudge. It’s not Nolan Ryan vs. Robin Ventura or Pedro Martinez vs Jorge Posada. It hasn't gotten physical between former Marlins Miguel Rojas and Jazz Chisholm Jr.—at least not yet.

Rojas was traded to the Dodgers two offseasons ago, while Chisholm was flipped to the Yankees before the trade deadline this year. Prior to that, they spent parts of three seasons together on the Marlins (2020-2022), and they did not see eye-to-eye on everything.

We know that Chisholm was the recipient of criticism from some of his teammates for being too flashy, both on and off the field. These differences culminated in a lengthy closed-door meeting midway through the 2022 season. It was by all accounts counterproductive as the team went on to lose 93 games anyway, part ways with longtime manager Don Mattingly and drastically change its roster.

Earlier this year, Chisholm went on The Pivot, a podcast hosted by former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. He all but confirmed that Rojas was at the center of those critiques. Chisholm didn’t mention names, although he did refer to the “team captain” multiple times, which was Rojas.

"Our team captain tried to get me out of here," Chisholm said on the podcast. "My team captain would come and tell me, 'Bro you're the best on the team, bro. Keep on going, bro. You're gonna be great. You're gonna lead us one day.' But then the next two seconds, he's in (Mattingly's) office telling the manager something, and then the manager coming and telling me, 'Bro, this is what your team captain said.'”

During this period, Chisholm was Miami's most recognizable player despite his brief MLB track record. He would periodically dye his hair different colors. He had an elaborate celebration at each base when he’d hit a home run.

Rojas, more reserved and down-to-business than his then-teammate, did not appreciate the showmanship.

"They wanted to put me in the box," Chisholm said, "and it wasn't happening, because I'm not ever gonna be put in a box." 

Chisholm went on to describe all the ways in which the veterans would haze the younger guys. He alleged someone poured milk into his custom-designed cleats and threw them in the trash. He also implied that the first baseman (likely Jesús Aguilar) wouldn’t give as much effort in picking Chisholm’s throws out of the dirt as he did with other teammates.

That’s the part of the story where Chisholm dug in the most.

“They’ve been there for nine or 10 years and the team calls them the team captain,” Chisholm said. "But they’re not a good captain, they’re not a good person, you’re not even a good athlete at this point. You’re just here and you’re bringing down the young guys that are supposed to be good.”

Rojas responded a few days later on the Chris Rose Rotation.

"Whatever you want to say about me as a player...you can have that opinion," Rojas said. "But you saying that I'm a 'bad person' when you don't even know me, when you don't even know where I come from, you're not even part of what's close to me or have the opportunity to sit down with me and getting to know me as a person, that's kind of what bothers me."

Although they have not directly chirped at each other in public since the 2024 season began, Chisholm is embracing the narrative that he faced adversity in Miami. On Monday, The Players' Tribune published a cartoon strip about his career arc. One panel shows Chisholm sitting in the clubhouse with the following caption: "My passion got me to the league. But at the start of my career...my joy came and went."

Chisholm, now 26 years old, was a valuable piece for New York when he first arrived in July. He has continued to be the club's everyday third baseman in the postseason, but his production has withered. He hit a combined .147 with a home run and a double in the American League Division Series and Championship Series, with a couple of defensive miscues mixed in there at his new position.

Rojas, 35, excelled as a part-time player with the Dodgers this season, continuing to be one of the game's steadiest defensive shortstops and best contact hitters. Unfortunately, he's been limited to three games in October due to a sports hernia. He was left off the NLCS roster and it's unclear whether he will be activated for the Fall Classic.

Health permitting, this would be the first time the two have faced each other since a series at Dodger Stadium in early May. The stakes are obviously higher now. Neither player has won a World Series title before.

Watching from afar, Marlins fans can determine their rooting interest based on which player’s cause they identify with the most (flashy new-school player vs. reserved veteran) and live vicariously through that.