LAS VEGAS — Taming the elephant in the room has been a daunting task that’s tormented every front-office boss in Colorado Rockies history.
Paul DePodesta, Colorado’s new president of baseball operations, is well aware of that elephant: bad starting pitching. And the elephant has never been bigger or wilder than it was in 2025, when Rockies starters posted a 6.65 ERA, the highest such number since the statistic became official in 1913.
But Podesta, officially hired last Friday and still in the early stages of building his staff, said Tuesday that he’s open to a wide array of solutions to fix the pitching woes that were central to the Rockies’ 43-119 record. That includes making offseason trades to bolster the rotation.
“I’ve certainly got some ideas on what to do,” DePodesta said during Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings. “I think it’s still early, but we also need to see what type of opportunities present themselves over the course of the winter.
“I think we have to. I think we have to be pretty opportunistic in acquisitions. On top of that, we also need to think about how we approach it, even with the players we currently have. I think we have to be open-minded about all the different ways that we can acquire players, and especially pitchers.”
Young starters such as Chase Dollander, Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown, Gabriel Hughes and lefty Sean Sullivan offer glimmers of hope, but they have proven nothing yet. Lefty Kyle Freeland and right-hander Ryan Feltner, who missed almost all of the 2025 season with back and shoulder issues, are the only two veterans on the staff.
Hence, the team needs to look outside for help as the young pitchers develop — or Colorado could see a repeat of ’25.
High-impact veteran free agents have most likely crossed high-altitude Colorado off their lists already, meaning that DePodesta and his staff will look to make some creative deals this winter. Colorado’s most valuable trading chips come from its surplus of outfield prospects, even if DePodesta didn’t say that directly.
“I want to stop short of naming a particular position group,” he said. “I have one in mind for sure, but I do think there’s some depth there. And now I have to understand what the other 29 teams think, and what players they’re attracted to from our organization. But, again, I think we need to be open-minded about that.”
KB conundrum: When DePodesta accepted his job with the Rockies, he was well aware of first baseman Kris Bryant’s uncertain future. The former National League MVP is dealing with lumbar degenerative disc disease, and there is the real possibility that he will never play baseball again. Still, he’s under contract for three more seasons, and the club still owes him $81 million.
Asked about the conundrum, DePodesta said he needs to have a face-to-face conversation with Bryant.
“I’d like to get a chance to actually visit with Kris, and I haven’t gotten to do that yet,” DePodesta said. “So, until then, until I know more, even from our medical people, and things like that, I won’t (know).”
Earlier this month, Bryant told The Denver Post that dealing with back pain has become part of his everyday life.
“I wish I had better things to tell you,” Bryant said. “It’s not in the best shape, and that’s pretty disheartening for me. It’s exhausting for me waking up and hoping to feel (better). I can’t tell you the last time I woke up feeling I’m in a good spot.”
Psychology minor: Although he earned his degree in economics from Harvard, DePodesta had an intense interest in psychology. He said he has learned to combine the two through his years in the front offices of Major League Baseball and the NFL. He believes it will help him construct his staff in Colorado.
“I think probably the most important thing for me is being a great relationship manager with the players,” DePodesta said. “We’re trying to build a culture in the clubhouse. Certainly, there are game strategy and other things that are important, but that manager relationship piece and being sort of a great teammate, too, with the rest of the organization, those things are equally valuable.”
Denver resident: During his 10-year tenure with the Cleveland Browns as their chief strategy officer, DePodesta lived most of the time in La Jolla, Calif., where he and his wife raised their four children. He would work remotely and commute occasionally to Cleveland.
However, DePodesta said that he plans to move to Denver.
“I plan on being in Denver,” he said. “Two of the kids are out of the house, and two are still in the house. We need to figure out what’s best for them, but I’m going to be in Denver the majority of the time.”
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