CHICAGO - The Rockies are heading into an offseason that could move fast, and Paul DePodesta made it clear they plan to be in the middle of it from the start.
After a 4-2 loss to the White Sox closed out a 58-104 season, Denver’s club finished with its fourth straight year of 100-plus losses. That kind of ending leaves little room for reflection, but plenty of urgency. DePodesta said Sunday the Rockies are in a better position than they were a year ago to move quickly once the World Series ends and the trade and free-agent market opens up.
“We’ll be ready,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said Sunday. “We obviously, unfortunately, have some time here in October to focus on it.
But fortunately for us this year, we are a little bit earlier. Last year in November and December, we were hiring staff - both coaching and front office.
This year we are all in place.
“After living through this for a year, we have a very good direction on what it is we feel we need. So we’ll certainly be ready to act early this offseason if need be.”
That confidence comes after a season that began with some real signs of life, only to end in the same familiar place. The Rockies were 39-58 at the All-Star break and, at one point, manager Warren Schaeffer told the team in a meeting he wanted them to finish above .500 in the second half. They got within reach by going 11-15 out of the break, then the bottom fell out.
There were positives to point to. Colorado scored 752 runs, its highest total since 2019, and ranked fourth in batting average at .254, seventh in on-base percentage at .322, fifth in slugging at .417 and fifth in OPS at .739. But the record in tight games told another story: 17-25 in one-run games and 12-24 in two-run games, a .372 winning percentage in games decided by two runs or fewer that ranked fourth-worst in MLB.
The bigger issue never really changed. Colorado’s rotation finished last in the majors in strikeouts with 555, 50 fewer than the second-place Padres, and also finished last in ERA at 6.28, the only team above 6.00.
The Rockies were last in batting average against at .303 and last in WHIP at 1.58. Too often, the offense gave them a chance only for the pitching to pull them back down.
DePodesta said the final six weeks of the season left a bad taste.
“Unfortunately, the way we played the final six weeks has left a sour taste in our mouths, and the mouths of our fans and supporters as well, for good reason,” DePodesta said. “We’re disappointed with how we played, and that has overshadowed a lot of the progress we have made through the course of the year -- early in the season and I still believe it now.
“We’re encouraged but far from satisfied. Even if we had won a few more games down the stretch, it’s still far from where we want to be.”
Still, there were reasons to believe the organization has started to identify some real pieces. Hunter Goodman provided power behind the plate.
Jake McCarthy stabilized the leadoff spot. Kyle Karros produced at third base.
TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg, both rookies, turned in strong offensive seasons. Ezequiel Tovar finished on a better note after a long rough patch, and Mickey Moniak was off to a strong start before injuries slowed him down after signing a two-year, $16.25 million contract through 2028.
“The most positive thing that has come from this year is, with a whole new group in place, we’ve identified a number of pieces -- a core of a playoff team here in Colorado,” DePodesta said. “We need to grow that core, and I think we have to some degree this year, but we need to continue.”
The Rockies also got useful production from some less-heralded additions. McCarthy arrived in a trade and hit .291.
Rumfield, another trade pickup, batted .300 and emerged as a National League Rookie of the Year candidate. Troy Johnston, claimed on waivers, hit .277.
Willi Castro and Jordan Romano came in as free-agent additions, with Romano joining during the season.
Late help also came from Trade Deadline acquisitions Gabriel Hughes, Mason Adams, Connor Norby, Mark Manfredi and Nick Frasso, though the rotation still leaned heavily on rookies Hughes and Adams and spot starter Tanner Gordon down the stretch. Even if that group takes a step forward, the Rockies still need more depth and more experience in front of and behind them.
DePodesta said the front office, now settled in, could expand in all areas as he and general manager Josh Byrnes try to avoid getting trapped by the highs and lows of a season like this one. The challenge ahead is obvious: Colorado needs starting pitching, and it needs to find it creatively.
In Other News...
Rockies May Be Heading For A Pitching Shakeup Fans Expected
The Rockies long season ended at 58-104, and the first obvious fallout is on the mound, where a familiar group of veteran arms appears headed for an overhaul. Kyle Freeland finished his final game with the club, while Jos Quintana and Yusei Kikuchi Sugano both ran into the kind of injury and performance issues that can change a teams plans quickly.
Jordan Romano is also unlikely to factor into the picture after his minor league deal never turned into a return, leaving Colorado with a rotation and bullpen outlook that could look very different next season. For a club trying to reset after another difficult year, the pitching staff may be where the most noticeable changes start, even if the full shape of that shakeup is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
TJ Rumfield Gave Rockies Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Even in a season that ended at 58-104, TJ Rumfield gave Rockies fans something rare to hang onto. The rookie first baseman didnt just look like a useful young piece, he looked like a hitter around whom a lineup could eventually be built, batting .300 while pairing contact with power and production. His on-base work stood out across the National League, and the back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards in May and June only reinforced that his first full impression was no fluke.
For a club that spent much of the year searching for reasons to feel better about where it was headed, Rumfield became the clearest one. He finished with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs, but the bigger story was the sense he brought of an everyday player who already understood how to control an at-bat. The Rockies still have plenty to sort out after another long season, but they can at least point to Rumfield as proof that not every part of the future is uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Just Got A Tough First Read On Mickey Moniak
Mickey Moniaks first season with the Rockies offered both the kind of upside that can make a front office feel good about a quick extension and the kind of inconsistency that keeps everyone guessing. After a strong first half, Colorado moved to keep him around on a two-year, $16.25 million deal, betting that the bat he showed early in the year could carry over as he settled in as part of the lineup.
The second half made the read a little tougher. Moniaks production slipped after the extension, and a month on the sidelines because of right ankle tendinitis only added to the uneven feel of his season. He still finished with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs, but the monthly swings in his batting line left the Rockies with a player who clearly can help them, while still needing a clearer answer on which version they can count on going forward. [Read more 🡒]