The Colorado Rockies don’t have the kind of payroll power that the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox or Dodgers can throw around. But this offseason still gives them a chance to borrow a few lessons from the lower-payroll clubs that made noise in this year’s postseason.
There’s no single fix here. The Rockies have a cluster of problems, and the front office has to attack them with urgency.
Start with the pitching staff, where the rotation leaned too heavily on veteran one-year solutions. Tomoyuki Sugano, Jose Quintana and Michael Lorenzen were among the names brought in on short-term deals during the 2026 season.
Sugano was the best of that group, but that model can’t be the blueprint again in 2027. Colorado has to get younger there.
The bullpen needs just as much attention. There are some good arms in the mix, which gives the unit a chance to be better, but the Rockies still need reinforcements. That means either mining the farm system or swinging a trade to shore things up.
That matters because the late innings have already cost them. Colorado dropped too many one- and two-run games this season, and a shaky bullpen was a big reason why.
Second base is another glaring issue. Willi Castro brings defensive value, but he isn’t the kind of steady everyday second baseman the Rockies can count on across a full season. He profiles more as a utility piece and can go through streaks.
What Colorado needs there is simple: a younger second baseman who can defend and put together a reliable contact approach. The front office shouldn’t be thinking small on this one.
The ideal fit would be someone in the Luiz Arraez or Robinson Cano mold, or at least close enough to that level to give the position real credibility. That spot has to be addressed before the season starts.
The offense, meanwhile, needs more help than just a different lineup card. The Rockies need a hitting coach who can lift their plate approach.
Plate discipline and on-base percentage have to improve as a group, and the team has to stop getting jumpy so early in counts. The idea is to slow the game down and make pitchers work.
They also need someone in that role who has actually done it in the majors and understands what it takes to see the ball and hit the ball.
And then there’s the youth movement. Charlie Condon and other minor-league prospects need to get to the big leagues.
Age shouldn’t be the issue. If a player is 19 or 24, the Rockies need to find out whether he can handle the pressure by throwing him into the fire.
If Colorado wants to improve its winning percentage, younger talent may be the quickest way to start changing the equation.
In Other News...
Rockies Can't Miss On The Hunter Goodman Decision This Winter
With the Rockies facing a winter that could shape the next phase of the roster, Hunter Goodman is one of the most interesting names in the mix. Paul DePodesta now has to weigh whether a power-hitting catcher is better kept in place as part of the clubs core or used as the centerpiece of a deal that brings back immediate help.
That kind of decision has to land cleanly for Colorado, because moving a player with Goodmans offensive profile only makes sense if the return is substantial enough to justify it. The Orioles have shown how much value can be extracted when a catcher becomes the centerpiece of a broader trade package, and the Rockies will be looking for that sort of impact if they choose to go down that road. [Read more 🡒]