Rojas was the Cuban national team's all-time save leader before he and 12 others dramatically crammed onto a 15-foot raft in August 1994 and drifted for five days until rescued by the United States Coast Guard. They were taken to Guantanamo Bay where they remained for six months.

Fortunately, Rene Arocha, former St. Louis pitcher who had previously left Cuba, sponsored Rojas so that he could work and live in the United States, and become a citizen. He played independent league baseball in Palm Springs, CA in 1995, then was drafted in the 30th round and signed by the Florida Marlins. He appeared in 18 games with the Gulf Coast Lg. Rookie team, AA Portland (Eastern Lg.) and AAA Charlotte (Int. Lg.) and had a combined 3-2 record with one save and 31 strikeouts in 35 innings.

An arm injury curtailed his career in 1996 after six games with Charlotte and he became a pitching coach in the Marlins' minor league system with the Gulf Coast Lg. Rookie team. He held that position through 1999. That season he moved up for two weeks to become Florida's major league bullpen coach while Tony Taylor took over for manager John Boles who was ill. In 2000 he was the pitching coach for Brevard County in the Florida State Lg. before going back to the Gulf Coast Lg. in the same role in 2001.