Tyler Paddor | October 6, 2026

After a mostly promising start to the 2026 season that defied expectations, tracking for a mid-60s win total most of the season, the Rockies had renewed some hopes that the ship could be turned around on 20th and Blake sooner than later. Unfortunately, from August 3rd into the close of the season, the Rockies went 13-36, cementing their fate as one of the few organizations to ever lose 100 ballgames in four straight seasons. While a fifth 100 loss season seems less likely, the Rockies have their work cut out for the 2026-27 offseason with a need for aggression.

Still, the Rockies markedly improved year-over-year. For starters, a 15 game record improvement is progress — though 15 games improved from 43 wins is low hanging fruit. Still, the team also noticeably jumped in practically every key area:

	2025	2026
HR	160	180
R	597	752
BB%	6.7%	8.1%
K%	25.9%	22.8%
fWAR / bWAR	-3.0 / -4.8	8.4 / 6.7
wRC+	75	91

	2025	2026
ERA	5.97	5.59
WHIP	1.58	1.52
BB%	8.7%	8.3%
K%	17.2%	17.5%
fWAR / bWAR	0.3 / 0.3	6.6 / 9.1
ERA+	82	90

There ultimately isn’t a lot of pride to take in improving from what was one of the worst teams in MLB history, especially with the context that many Rockies stats (including park-adjusted) still ranked at or near the bottom of MLB and the 2027 Rockies need another step close to the size of the one they took this season in order to return to relevance. However, either way, there’s undeniably a foundation to build on now versus a barren lot.

In comes November 2026. With MLB set for an indefinite lockout starting December 2nd, 2026, rumblings around the league suggest a bulk of moves may be packed into the few weeks following the World Series. Many players will be looking to lock down financial security before waiting through what could be several months before negotiations resume. Many teams will try and execute their plan on their own terms, instead of playing the waiting game without a clear indication of when transactions can take place again.

Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta told Thomas Harding the Rockies “[would] be ready” once the offseason starts, citing the established nature of the front office versus last year’s scramble. DePodesta was hired in mid-November last season as the first of several big front office moves that trickled into January, just weeks before pitchers and catchers reported.

DePodesta also acknowledged the elephant in the room: the Rockies need for talent. That need exists at pretty much every spot organization-wide.

“Pitching, pitching, pitching” will remain a hopeful prayer synonymous with the mile high baseball club for eternity. The Rockies leave 2026 with few inspiring options on the pitching side. Chase Dollander should return sometime next summer as he underwent internal brace surgery, versus Tommy John surgery. The 2023 1st rounder is the highest profile arm in the organization.

Though true impact pieces are otherwise lacking on the rotation side of things, having a crop of arms in Gabriel Hughes, Ryan Feltner, Tanner Gordon, and Mason Adams to provide backend support and depth gives the Rockies a foundation to build upon in the rotation. Emphasis on the concept of a ‘foundation’ there, as the Rockies will inevitably make an effort to add at least one proven starter to the mix.

Barring any trades, the Rockies return a promising group to the bullpen in Juan Mejia, Jaden Hill, Mark Manfredi, along with steady veteran Brennan Bernardino. Jimmy Herget’s future in Colorado is murky at best. Zach Agnos, Nick Frasso, and Jeff Criswell have all had their respective ups and downs with the Rockies and provide a quality 3rd layer to the pen, though one or more of those arms will spend plenty of time in Triple-A. Without other surefire pieces in the mix, Colorado could be active on the relief front.

Despite offensive fixtures like Hunter Goodman, TJ Rumfield, Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, and Kyle Karros emerging, plus a capable supporting offensive cast, the Rockies finished last in MLB for position player fWAR and were tied for last in wRC+.

Much of that malaise falls on bench players who struggled in 2026 and will likely not be with the club in 2027. Still there is still a big need for an impact bat somewhere on the diamond, either in the OF, at 2B, or possibly as a primary/part-time DH. Charlie Condon’s name will be in the middle of the Rockies plans, but the club isn’t going to hedge their lineup improvement solely on the former 1st rounder.

While trades should be the true standout of November, teams will also be poaching the free agent market as there may be an extremely tight window to add players before the start of game action once a new CBA is in place. Further, a simultaneous waiver frenzy will occur as the 60-day IL comes off the table just five days after the World Series and teams will need to remove players from their roster to become compliant with the hard 40 player limit. Once 40-man rosters become compliant, dozens of viable MLB players will be subject to waivers and the Rockies figure to add at least one player at that stage.

Options will be abundant for the Rockies as they try and continue their quest for competitive baseball. As the new front office proved last year, making a variety of moves in the margins can lead to core pieces overnight. If the Rockies capitalize on more inefficiencies like TJ Rumfield and Jake McCarthy and make a splash or two, they could make the necessary strides towards being a 70+ win team in 2027, with Wild Card hopes in 2028. Following a huge capital investment from the Penner Group last season, anything is possible.

The Pitching Market

Rotation Pursuit

Like most years, there are a lot of possible starting pitching options set to hit the market. Whether the Rockies can convince a starting pitcher in the middle of the market (versus the three bottom of the market pitchers the Rockies signed last year) is the real question. Not to mention, nearly every team in baseball will at least talk with free agent starters and their representation with most teams likely to add at least one starter.

Free Agents

Excluding the top of the market (Tarik Skubal), the following arms will be on the open market: Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez*, Sonny Gray*, Trevor Rogers, Dustin May*, Mike Soroka*, Tyler Mahle, Casey Mize, Foster Griffin, Michael King*, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Jack Flaherty, Patrick Sandoval, Brandon Woodruff, Kris Bubic, Robbie Ray, and plenty more gap filler-type starters. That’s 20+ starters who could all slot in as the Rockies #3 or better with a handful of clearcut #1 starters in the Rockies rotation. (*Indicates player has a player/mutual option).

Could the Rockies target hometown standout Kevin Gausman? Set to turn 36 before Opening Day, Gausman’s best days are undoubtedly behind him but he’s still striking out a plethora of hitters with 184 or more Ks in back to back seasons. Gausman’s splitter should especially appeal to Paul DePodesta and crew.

David Peterson, another Colorado-native, is a sneaky option for the Rockies given his quality command, ground ball inducing stuff (career 51.3 GB%), and respectable bat-missing ability (20.7 K% the last two seasons; would have ranked second among Rockies pitchers with >50 IP).

Beyond the local 303 products, Clay Holmes is another intriguing ground ball machine who knows how to manage contact and keep the ball in the yard. Holmes’s 62.7 GB% since 2021 and 0.56 HR/9 both rank 1st in MLB during that span among pitchers with multiple starts and 100 or more innings.

The Rockies search will certainly consider several other free agent options, though Gausman, Peterson, and Holmes seem like particularly good fits. As alluded to earlier, the Rockies’ Penner Group investment could open the door to offer market-beating contracts that lure a quality free agent pitcher or two to the Rockies. If the Rockies are to land a respectable (or better) free agent starter, they may need to tap into more funds than the market demands. Money talks. The Rockies will also have a potential advantage in November given their huge need for pitching which overlaps with impending free agents’ desire for financial certainty once the lockout lifts.

Trade Market

Once again, the trade market should be particularly robust in November as trades don’t often require the same financial commitment of a free agent acquisition. It’s hard to imagine the Rockies would go after a big ticket trade add like Joe Ryan or Reid Detmers but some lesser known arms could be savvy additions. Teams like the Rays, Guardians, Brewers, Orioles, Marlins, and more have an excess of depth in their rotation that could be available.

This is where team roster crunches come into play. Young players with unsecured roster spots are set to be on the move whether before or after being removed from a team’s 40-man roster. If DePodesta and crew can swing a Rumfield or McCarthy style move for a starting pitcher, that could greatly improve the team’s outlook.

Back of the Bullpen

While the Rockies will surely look to young arms in Juan Mejia, Jaden Hill, Mark Manfredi, and Nick Frasso for progress next year, an addition or two seem highly likely. Could the Rockies dip into a solid relief pitching market or try their hand at finding another undervalued Brennan Bernardino-type to steady the ship.

The Rockies could frankly use a closer. Their midseason addition of Jordan Romano proved beneficial in solidifying the 9th inning (Romano converted 11 of 14 save opportunities), though those opportunities became less frequent. With the incumbent members of the bullpen, there is not a clear option to close games and, arguably, not a wise option to trust in the 9th inning.

Elite late inning arms Adrian Morejon and David Bednar will be on the open market while the likes of Gregory Soto, Alex Vesia, Emilio Pagan, Jose Alvarado, Raisel Iglesias, Sean Newcomb, Brock Burke, and more will be available as a strong second tier of bullpen options.

Bounceback candidates include Pete Fairbanks (though his struggles and frustrations with Coors Field are public), Jason Adam, Carlos Estevez, Bryan Abreu, AJ Puk, Joe Jimenez, Brusdar Graterol, and potentially Robert Stephenson. This group all still possess the experience and/or stuff to potentially receive a late inning role without the hefty price tag associated with a Morejon, Bednar, or another top of market reliever. Could Puk or Adam — both coming off serious arm injuries — be savvy options?

Position Player Crop

The roster improvement focus will be on pitching, but as mentioned above, the Rockies lineup still has plenty of room to improve. The club can feel good about Hunter Goodman, TJ Rumfield, Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, and Kyle Karros as everyday players, Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak in regular roles, and Ezequiel Tovar as a short-leashed starter, but there is not only a need for more oomph in the lineup but there’s also an opportunity.

The Rockies corner outfield and DH spots certainly have at least a full-time role worth of playing time between them and 2B is still a bit murky for the club, though Willi Castro should soak up most of the playing time at 2B, with Connor Norby and Adael Amador proving themselves as worthy options down the stretch.

For a team that ranked 19th in HR and 27th in walks, finding a player who can boost the team’s power production and on-base ability could go a long way to improving the performance of the entire lineup. Adding a power threat and/or strong on-base option doesn’t just boost one spot in the order, it pays dividends to everyone else. That’s where it feels like the Rockies could go from last in park-adjusted offense to near middle of the pack with one impact addition.

Another underrated area for the Rockies to improve is outfield defense. The team ranked dead last in baseball for DRS and 2nd to last in OAA among their outfielders. While it’s not perfectly clear if advanced defensive stats adequately consider the added difficulty of playing at Coors Field, they paint a bleak picture in any event. Not to mention, if playing OF at Coors Field is difficult to the point it’s dragging advanced stats down, shouldn’t the club place extreme effort on improving defensive play?

On another point, this year’s trio of small/mid-market Championship Series teams (MIL, TB, and CLE) all ranked in the top 6 for outfield DRS, though OAA was less friendly to Cleveland (16th). Tampa and Milwaukee both ranked top 5. These clubs, particularly, the current World Series matchup, have tipped their hand that outfield defense is one of their greatest focuses with above average defenders at all 3 spots. Can’t beat ’em? Join ’em.

Free Agents

This year’s free agent position player group lacks star power and overall quality, especially compared to the relatively deep pitching class. Still there are a handful of big-time bats who could push the Rockies over the hump.

The cream of the crop includes Randy Arozarena (5.5 fWAR), Brandon Lowe (4.9 fWAR), Seiya Suzuki (4.6 fWAR), and Luis Arraez (4.1 fWAR). The next rock solid tier includes postseason hero Jake Bauers (3.6 fWAR), Jazz Chisholm (3.5 fWAR), Ian Happ (2.6 fWAR), and potentially Bo Bichette (1.9 fWAR; player option).

Other strong offensive options include Taylor Ward (1.0 fWAR), Gleyber Torres (1.0 fWAR), Alec Bohm (0.2 fWAR), potentially Luis Robert Jr. (0.5 fWAR; club option), and a very under-the-radar candidate in Gavin Lux who missed all of 2026.

I ultimately don’t expect a splash on the free agency side here, though Taylor Ward — coming off a bizarre 2026 season — could bring the perfect combination of plate discipline, power, and right-handedness that the Rockies should covet. While Ward only hit 7 home runs in 2026 after 36 in 2025, he turned himself into a masterfully disciplined hitter. Ward chased at pitches at the lowest rate in MLB, though it clearly impacted his feel for attacking in zone.

Trade Market

Outfielders Steven Kwan and Jarren Duran have come up in trade rumors for over a year and both could boost the Rockies outfield defense and provide another spark to the lineup — though Duran is coming off a miserable offensive 2026 season. Otherwise, perhaps Washington would listen on the speedy Jacob Young if the Rockies look for a glove first player with a bat that made a large leap this past season.

As always, predicting trade candidates is not a clean process, but like they did last season — acquiring Rumfield and McCarthy — expect the Rockies to see what they can find at cost.

So What’s the Product?

Ultimately, the Rockies will likely be responsible in their offseason approach, but could they add 5 or more regular players? That seems likely. The pressure is on to improve the pitching staff and try to get the club ERA closer to the 5-flat mark. If Rockies offseason acquisitions were going to get Vegas lines set, the over-under for pitchers added by the Rockies has to be at 4.5. In terms of position players, it’s likely at 1.5.

This wouldn’t be a fun article without going out on a limb and attaching some names to these numbers to better illustrate what could be in store for Colorado. Imagine, the Rockies add Kevin Gausman, David Peterson, AJ Puk, and Gregory Soto to the pitching mix. That’s their new Opening Day starter in Gausman, their new #3/#4 starter in Peterson, and their likely 8th and 9th inning arms in the pen in some order between Puk and Soto.

On the offensive side, adding Ward or perhaps pushing some trade chips in for Kwan could ignite the lineup with much needed on-base ability and either a dormant 25 home run bat in Ward or a Gold Glove caliber corner outfielder in Kwan.

While that’s a complete exercise in spit-balling and doesn’t capture the marginal transactions all but guaranteed to take place, I stand behind the Rockies having their most aggressive offseason in memory. While last offseason was active, it can’t quite be considered aggressive as — other than Willi Castro — the Rockies 2025-26 free agent signings did not come with robust markets, the club simply added who they could on the pitching side.

With payroll coming off the books (Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, Jose Quintana, Tomoyuki Sugano combining for over 30M in 2026 payroll), the aforementioned Penner Group investment, and likely CBA provisions designed to increase mid-market spending, the Rockies will be spenders this offseason, one way or another. At least $20M of outside spending seems very likely with a chance to see upwards of $40M in outside talent brought in.

With most of last year’s production returning — Antonio Senzatela is the key omission — the team’s floor is close to where it was last season. With some loud additions to the club and some shrewd ones on the waiver wire and via small trades, the ceiling of this Rockies club is to be determined.