The Rockies’ offseason blueprint is hard to miss: pitching has to be the priority, and it has been that way for years. Colorado still finished with a 58-104 record, and the staff’s 5.59 ERA was the worst in Major League Baseball. Even with changes in the front office and organizational structure, the results haven’t been enough to drag the club out of a fourth straight 100-loss season.
That’s why the free-agent market connected to the World Series is worth a long look in Colorado. Nine players from those rosters are set to hit free agency, and two names stand out for the Rockies: JoJo Romero and Brandon Woodruff, both from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Romero looks like the more realistic fit. The left-handed reliever appeared in 55 games for Milwaukee during its World Series run in 2026, and he finished the regular season with a 3.36 ERA, 54 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP over 56 1/3 innings.
He wouldn’t be a headline-grabbing addition, but he would give Colorado a proven arm without demanding a huge commitment. For a team that needs help all over the pitching staff, that matters.
Woodruff is the bigger-name swing, but also the trickier one. He’s 33 now and has dealt with injuries, especially shoulder issues that have repeatedly interrupted his availability.
When he was on the mound in 2026, he was effective: 45 1/3 innings, a 2-2 record, a 2.98 ERA, 47 strikeouts and a 0.84 WHIP. The production is there.
The concern is whether he can stay on the field long enough for it to matter.
That’s where Colorado has to be careful. The upside of adding Woodruff is obvious, but the Rockies already have enough problems tied to health and expensive risk.
A short-term deal might make sense if the medical outlook checks out. A long-term or pricey commitment would be a different story.
Colorado should have real financial flexibility heading into 2027, but that doesn’t mean the front office should spend just for the sake of spending. Smart roster building and effective pitching are what the World Series clubs showed, and that should be the lesson for a Rockies team still trying to find its way.
No one knows exactly what president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta will do this winter, but the mission is clear enough: find pitchers who can help move the rebuild forward. The challenge, as always, is getting them to sign on for the reality of Coors Field.
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