Miguel Rojas Reveals Early Plans to Make Up for Lost Opportunity

Miguel Rojas had visions of representing Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic before his final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was prevented from doing so because of insurance issues tied to turning 37 years old last month.

It was a disappointing and frustrating development for the veteran. Rojas previously needed to withdraw from the WBC in 2023 because a season-ending injury Gavin Lux suffered was changing his role.

Miguel Rojas eyeing 2028 Summer Olympics

The next opportunity Rojas will have to possibly wear a Team Venezuela jersey is for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. However, the country would need to qualify by having a successful showing in the WBC.

Should Venezuela be part of Olympic baseball at Dodger Stadium, Rojas is hopeful to play a role with the team.

"I know I said I'm going to stop playing baseball after this year, but I'm never going to be away from the game," he told Kirsten Watson on SportsNet LA. "I feel like that's something that's in my veins. I'm really passionate about the game of baseball and I really want to stay around.

"So I already talked to the manager of Venezuela, Omar López. He's coaching the team this year in the WBC but you never know who's going to be the manager or the coaching staff for the Olympics. So I'll be thinking about that.

"I told him, 'I'm sorry this couldn't happen as a player, but I would totally open to helping you as a coach or anyway that you need me there.' Because I feel like the passion we have for the game and love for the country, we share that. I'm not going to say no if they offer me an opportunity."

Also as part of the interview, Rojas said he's moved on from the anger of not being allowed to play in the WBC this year. He was among several Latin American players who were the subject of insurance coverage issues for a variety of reasons.

If a player is deemed uninsurable for the World Baseball Classic, their contract for the regular season would not be guaranteed if they missed time because an injury suffered during the tournament, unless a team agrees to waive that clause.

Rojas felt such policies disproportionately impacted select countries.

"My only question is, why is it just with our countries?" he said at DodgerFest. "Like, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, we've seen a couple Dominican players. I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan.

"I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on, or seeing what’s happening behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America.

"So there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB. It's really hard to not have the opportunity to put my country on my chest and having the opportunity to represent them and help win a World Baseball Classic.

"Not having the opportunity to do it because I'm 37 years old, that's not right. I don't feel that's right. If I can still play in the big leagues for the Dodgers, why not go to play for my team in Venezuela and represent my country?”