Colorado Rockies news and links for Monday, June 23rd, 2025
More change is on the horizon for the Colorado Rockies in their transitional 2025 season.
Steve Foster—director of pitching and a longtime member of the organization—is expected to depart in the near future to become the pitching coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Foster, 58, first joined the Rockies as their pitching coach prior to the 2015 season. The former reliever for the Cincinnati Reds oversaw the rise of Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez, Jon Gray, and other key members of the Rockies pitching staff for seven seasons until he became the organization’s director of pitching following the 2021 campaign.
The departure of Foster marks yet another example of beleaguered Rockies departing the organization, either voluntarily or otherwise, this year. Longtime catching coach and advisor Jerry Weinstein left to pursue a role with the Chicago Cubs before the start of the season, while former hitting coach Hensley Meulens, former bench coach Mike Redmond, and former manager Bud Black were all relieved of their duties early in the season.
The Rockies will now need to find a new director of pitching, a potentially vital role for a franchise in desperate need of a rebuild. Whomever is selected to take over for Foster will need to help the Rockies update their outdated pitching and pitcher development strategies as part of a push for modernization.
All of that makes the top name floated as Foster’s replacement even more concerning.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the top candidate is none other than Harry Ralston “Bud” Black. The same Bud Black that was fired by the Rockies less than two months ago in the midst of the historically awful start to the 2025 season.
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
In no uncertain terms, a decision to reunite with Black would be a catastrophically wrong-headed decision for an organization that needs to be shaken up in every way imaginable.
The Rockies already made the mistake of bringing Black back as manager to start the 2025 season, despite his contract being up at the end of 2024.
Since that decision was rectified on May 11th, interim manager Warren Schaeffer has seized the opportunity of using a lost season to learn, grow, and hopefully start building some foundations for a better future. We’ve seen Schaeffer and his coaching staff experiment with lineups and dedicate more playing time to younger players and prospects.
The Rockies under Schaeffer have also changed up their pitcher usage and strategy to interesting results, a point that was hammered home by Rockies broadcaster Ryan Spilborghs.
“Here’s where I point out that Warren Schaeffer has had an impact on what we’re seeing from the players,” Spilborghs said on an episode of his ‘Spilly on the Rox’ YouTube show. “We saw it with Chase Dollander before he got hurt. We’ve seen it with Germán. We’re starting to see it with Senzatela. They’re pitching a little bit more to their to more to their strengths versus just pitching with the old philosophy that we saw with Bud Black where they establish down and away and then mix and match. I think they’re starting to kind of get into the metrics of how their stuff plays.”
The marquee player for the importance of this change is right-handed veteran Germán Márquez, who has bounced back to form in seven starts since Schaeffer took over. Márquez is lasting longer in games, giving up fewer earned runs, and tallying more strikeouts by making more frequent use of his excellent knuckle curveball.
Choosing to reunite with Black would fly in the face of the small steps forward this organization has taken—and must continue to take this season and beyond—as voices associated with the Rockies clamor for changes to be made.
Outfielder Mickey Moniak told USA Today last week that the Rockies would be ‘“doing ourselves a disservice” if they failed to grasp lessons forged in the misery of perpetual losing.
“The season hasn’t gone the way we wanted to. But we play 162 games,” Moniak said. “If the first 60 or so weren’t how we wanted, we have a group in this clubhouse and a group of coaches who aren’t going to fold, and we’re gonna learn. We’re gonna grow.”
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
From broadcasters and journalists to players of both the past and present, all of these voices share a similar sentiment: The Rockies need seismic change to rebuild their now ruined reputation.
Recently, a new—and hopefully even more influential—voice has echoed the same.
“Every time I see that team and how it’s doing, it makes me want to cry,” that voice said. “Because I have the memories of the past, just like the fans do.”
That voice belongs to Rockies co-owner Charlie Monfort, the brother of chairman, CEO, and de-facto head of baseball operations Dick Monfort.
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The younger Monfort brother is no longer as actively involved with the team’s day-to-day as he once was. However, he joins a growing list of people speaking up about the Rockies and their need to make changes.
“I think we need a new set of eyeballs,” he told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “We need to give someone the opportunity. Someone who knows baseball and has lived and breathed baseball, and sometimes, died with baseball. Someone who knows everything that all of the good teams we face do, from grassroots on up. Someone who is going to stand by their decisions because they are going to live with it.”
For what it’s worth, Dick Monfort—in a rare public statement—acknowledged his brother’s words.
“That’s not only Charlie’s opinion, it’s the public’s in general, and I get it,” Dick said. “There is a criticism, which is fair, that we are very loyal, insular, and we promote from within.”
While the elder Monfort did try to deflect some of the blame to tired excuses, such as the Rockies’ unique playing environment, he ultimately seemed to give in to the idea that outside help is needed.
“But I agree that what has gone on over the last few years is not representative of what we want. I think there are a lot of reasons for that. But it probably is time to have somebody who has a fresh opinion, a fresh set of eyes. … I’m not opposed to bringing people in from the outside.”
However, if Dick Monfort chooses the comfortable option—reuniting with a familiar face in Bud Black so soon after finally letting him go—it would prove that he has learned nothing from his team’s historically awful stretch of baseball.
And if Monfort has learned nothing, there will be no bright future for Denver’s beloved baseball team at 20th and Blake any time soon.
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On the Farm
Triple-A: Tacoma Rainiers 7, Albuquerque Isotopes 2
The Albuquerque Isotopes have won just three of their last twelve games, including dropping five of six against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners). The Isotopes fell to the Rainiers on Sunday’s series finale, scoring just two runs on four hits. Keston Hiura—recently outrighted to Triple-A, plated both of the ‘Topes’ two runs with a double in the first inning. Karl Kauffmann pitched three scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 9, Reading Fightin’ Phils 1
It wasn’t much of a fight as the Yard Goats stomped the Fightin’ Phils (Philadelphia Philles) in their Sunday finale. First baseman Zach Kokoska hit a three run home run to strike early in the first inning. Cole Carrigg, Kyle Karros, and Bryant Betancourt all had two hits, with Karros hitting a double and Carrigg driving in two runs. Welinton Herrera pitched two strong, scoreless innings of relief while striking out four batters and giving up just one hit.
High-A: Spokane Indians 10, Everett Aqua Sox 2
The Indians had a much needed offensive onslaught against the Everett Aqua Sox (Seattle Mariners), scoring four runs in the seventh and eighth innings to end a series loss on a high note. Aidan Longwell, Andy Perez, and Cole Messina all had two-hit, two-RBI afternoons at the plate, but every Indians batter had at least one hit. Stu Flesland III pitched three scoreless innings to start a bullpen day and struck out two batters. Only Hunter Omlid yielded earned runs to the Aqua Sox, but he still walked away with the win credited to his name.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 5, Visalia Rawhide 1
The Grizzlies salvaged a series split against the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks) with a 5-1 victory on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Fitzer had three RBIs in the game, including two from a home run in the second inning. 20-year-old Marcos Herrera pitched six shutout innings, giving up only one hit and three walks while striking out a season high seven batters.
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Freeland targeting Friday return to Rockies’ rotation | MLB.com
Kyle Freeland is hoping to miss the minimum number of games during his stint on the injured list for lower back tightness. The Rockies lefty threw a 50-pitch bullpen session over the weekend and was feeling good afterwards. He expects to return to the rotation on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers, replacing rookie Carson Palmquist. Palmquist was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.
Rockies owner Charlie Monfort, now sober, says team ‘needs new set of eyeballs’ | Denver Post ($)
While Charlie Monfort does discuss the Rockies’ need for change and a fresh vision in Patrick Saunders’ latest from the Denver Post, he also discusses at length his alcoholism and journey to sobriety after years of struggle.
“I don’t even know my (sobriety) day,” he said. “I will tell you that I have had relapses off and on, but not for a long time. Once I said to myself, ‘This is not good for me, this is not fun anymore,’ I didn’t want to drink anymore.”
Monfort has been more involved with team affairs this season—including the decision to relieve Bud Black of his duties. His older brother says Charlie is in a much better place.
“So, I think he’s in a good place,” Dick Monfort said. “I hope he is. I’m happy for him. I love Charlie.”
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