The new front-office infrastructure is in place, meetings are being held, ideas are being batted about, and a game plan is taking shape for the 2026 Rockies.
We can’t see any tangible progress yet because the team has barely made a blip on the offseason radar. Entering the first weekend of the new year, the Rockies and the Red Sox were the only two teams that had not signed a free agent to a major league contract this offseason.
That’s mainly because Paul DePodesta has spent his time constructing his staff and evaluating the players on the Rockies’ 40-man roster and in their farm system. He’s been drinking from a firehouse since being hired as the president of baseball operations on Nov. 7.
Yet DePodesta is confident that the Rockies will rebound from what was perhaps the worst season in Major League Baseball’s modern era — 119 losses, an almost unfathomable minus-424 run differential, and a 6.65 starters’ ERA.
Why the confidence? Because he believes in the staff he’s built and says that the current players on the roster will play better in 2026. Yes, the Rockies will take some offseason swings to land a starting pitcher or two, a first baseman, and perhaps a veteran second baseman.
But most of all, DePodesta is counting on new staffers, including general manager Josh Byrnes, assistant GMs Ian Levin and Tommy Tanous, and a slew of new coaches and coordinators, to turn things around.
“The biggest thing we have done since I took over is make those additions,” DePodesta said during a phone interview from his home in La Jolla, Calif. “We have more people committed to certain tasks that will make us better. We are all on the page.
“We’ve talked a lot about alignment, from the minor leagues up to the big leagues, through our scouting department and through our international development. All of it should be tied together. I see it going in that direction.”
Starting pitching is the elephant on the mound that DePodesta must confront. Talented but erratic Chase Dollander needs to exorcise his Coors Field demons; Ryan Feltner must, finally, stay healthy; Tanner Gordon and McCade Brown are raw; and Gabriel Hughes has yet to make his big-league debut.
And veteran lefty Kyle Freeland, the staff anchor, was 5-17 with a 4.98 ERA over 31 starts in 2025.
It doesn’t take a baseball Mensa to realize that the Colorado will lose 100 games for the fourth consecutive season if it can’t find a way to stabilize its rocky rotation.
“We are still exploring how to do that, whether that’s by free agency or trade,” DePodesta said. “But it’s definitely an area of focus. I think for all teams it’s something you look for because you can never have enough depth. We definitely fall into that boat.
“But I think you’re right. We would like to add some stability to the rotation. I think that’s obvious … given our current situation.”
DePodesta’s solution is two-fold.
“The first — and the one that grabs the most headlines — is that you go out and get new players,” he said.
To do that, the Rockies would likely have to make some trades, using their bullpen and outfield depth to swing a deal. DePodesta said there has been significant interest from other teams in both outfielders and relievers, but admitted that the art of the baseball deal is not easy.
“You always have to try and make trades, but I think people would be dismayed to learn the hit rate in terms of deals that get consummated relative to deals that were discussed or offered,” he said. “It’s a very low average, so you just have to stay at it.”
DePodesta’s second solution involves improving the pitchers the Rockies already have. The club has a lackluster track record of accomplishing that, but DePodesta believes it can be done because of the newcomers he’s hired. He’s putting a lot of faith in pitching director Matt Daniels, pitching coach Alon Leichman, and assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas. There is also a push to use more pitching analytics across the system.
“With the pitching leadership we have brought into the organization the last six weeks, I think that’s a potentially significant lever for us,” DePodesta said. “That doesn’t mean we are just going to rely entirely on that lever and just go with what we have now and make everyone suddenly better.
“I mean, there were good coaches here before us. So, it’s not like we have it all figured out. But we think that, given the sheer manpower we have allocated to the pitching side, there’s definitely room for improvement with the players we have. We’re excited about exploring that as we head into spring training.”
Rockies offseason moves
Minor league contract signings:
• LHPs Adam Laskey, Parker Mushinski
• RHPs Eiberson Castellano, RHP John Brebbia
• INFs William Ferrufino, Chad Stevens, Nickey Lopez
• OF Drew Avans
Rule 5 Draft:
• Purchased contract of RHP RJ Petit from the Tigers
Trades
• Dealt LHP Ryan Rolison to the Braves for cash
• Acquired Red Sox LHP Brennan Bernardino for CF prospect Braiden Ward
Waivers
• Claimed RHP Garrett Acton off waivers from the Rays
• Claimed OF/1B Troy Johnston off waivers from the Marlins
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