The Rockies’ season is over at 58-104, and the turnover could start fast. With contracts expiring and several one-year additions already looking like short-term fixes, Colorado’s roster is set to look different before Opening Day 2027.
Kyle Freeland appears to be the clearest case. His season ended on a sour note, with a 4-12 record, a 6.65 ERA and 102 strikeouts, and his final outing came Sunday against the Chicago White Sox in the regular-season finale.
He allowed seven hits and four earned runs in what was likely his last appearance for the club. Freeland, 33, is in the final year of the five-year deal he signed in 2022, and the sense here is that the end of the road is near.
His peak with Colorado remains 2018, when he finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting.
José Quintana also looks like a one-and-done possibility. The Rockies brought him in on a one-year contract and hoped for the durable version they saw with the Milwaukee Brewers, but injuries got in the way and he never delivered much value over the course of the season.
In his previous start, Quintana gave up two runs on two hits and two walks across three innings, and he did not factor into the decision. At 37, with a birthday coming in January that will make him 38, he fits the profile of a veteran the Rockies may move on from as they try to get younger.
Yoshinobu Sugano’s case is a little different, but the result may be the same. He signed a short-term deal, improved from last season, and won 12 games for Colorado, but his last two months were enough for the front office to decide, “We have seen enough.”
He had some strong outings early, and the organization values his professionalism and commitment, but the bottom line is that he no longer looks like the same pitcher he was in Japan. The Rockies are weighing his future, and the concern is that keeping him would become more of a liability than an asset.
Ryan Romano rounds out the group. The 33-year-old reliever, a two-time All-Star who had some of his best years with the Toronto Blue Jays, came in on a minor league deal with a fastball and slider that once made him a real weapon.
That minor league run did not work out, and with only a one-year arrangement in place, there’s little reason to expect him back in Colorado for 2027. He’s not the pitcher he was three or four years ago.
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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 Face Immediate Pressure After Another 100-Loss Season
The Rockies season ended the way too many of the recent ones have, with a loss and another round number nobody in Denver wants to revisit. A 4-2 defeat to the White Sox capped a stretch in which Colorado dropped 30 of its final 38 games, extending a miserable trend that now includes four straight seasons with more than 100 losses. Even so, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta framed the offseason as a chance to move quickly, pointing to some offensive progress and a group of young players the organization believes can be part of what comes next.
The harder problem remains the one that has haunted this club for years. DePodesta acknowledged the rotations issues, especially the lack of reliable starting pitching, and said the Rockies need more depth and more experience on the mound if they are going to dig out of this cycle. The team says it has identified a core to build around, but identifying one is a long way from turning it into a competitive roster, which is why the coming months figure to carry immediate pressure for a club that can no longer afford to treat another offseason like a slow reset. [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 🡒]