The Colorado Rockies haven’t been the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason. They aren’t spending among the top teams in Major League Baseball. They have signed just two free agents to Major League contracts, veteran Starting Pitcher Michael Lorenzen and utility player Willi Castro. Nothing groundbreaking. But still enough alongside the acquisition of outfielder Jake McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks to back up Paul DePodesta’s message when he took over as the President of Baseball Operations this offseason.
No More “Business as Usual”
There’s a reason the Rockies finally made changes. They were historically bad this past season. The latest in a run of historically bad seasons for a club that has not made the postseason since 2018. Leading to the stepping down of General Manager Bill Schmidt this offseason. Executive vice president Walker Monfort took advantage of this opportunity and finally brought in new voices to lead the front office.
Director of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes came from the Cleveland Browns and the Dodgers, respectively. The first step in the process of getting back to respectability was done. The insular and stubborn Rockies would finally have new voices and new ideas leading them. That all sounds great on paper, but through their own fault, the Rockies have one of the most cynical fan bases in the MLB. This new front office would face the unfair pressure to prove they are different quickly. Luckily, it didn’t take long.
The Active Rockies?
DePodesta didn’t take long to start building his image for his new club, making several of these moves before his front office was even fully staffed. He began by trading minor league outfielder Braiden Ward to the Boston Red Sox for veteran left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino. Acquiring a solid reliever for a player the organization didn’t plan on keeping anyway. But arguably more importantly, was his releasing of former Rockies’ first round picks in first baseman Michael Toglia and reliever Ryan Rolison.
Neither player lived up to their draft stock in Colorado. Toglia, especially, was coming off an incredibly disappointing 2025 in which he experienced several demotions to Triple-A Albuquerque. DePodesta could have waited to see if either player had a solid spring and showed improvement. But he had seen enough and made the moves right away. During the Rockies’ rebuild, there was a common refrain used by owner Dick Monfort.
Usually, following a season with 90+ losses, Monfort’s theory was that a healthier season, combined with current Rockies players playing more fully to their potential, would result in a vastly improved season. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t work. The Rockies fit the definition of insanity, trying the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. These are no longer those Rockies.
In addition to the releases of Toglia and Rolison, catcher Drew Romo, outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez, RHP Bradley Blalock, and reliever Angel Chivilli have all either been designated for assignment or traded this offseason. Blalock was traded to the Miami Marlins this offseason for minor-league RHP Jake Brooks. Blalock was part of the return from the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal at the Trade Deadline in 2024. He appeared in 20 games across 2024-25 with the Rockies, but never got going, posting an unsightly 9.36 ERA over 58 2/3 innings pitched in 2025.
Romo was another first-round draft pick of Colorado, 35th overall in 2020. Fernandez was an international signee and among the Rockies’ top prospects for several seasons before debuting this year. Chivilli, 23, is from the Dominican Republic and has played two MLB seasons with the Rockies as an RHP.
New Way of Doing Things
Toglia’s release was the least surprising of the group, considering his awful 2025. But it was still an adjustment to see three former first-round picks of the Rockies released in quick succession. But this is less about the impact of these moves and more about the fact that they actually happened. DePodesta and the Rockies’ front office are showing they won’t settle for the status quo.
These first-round picks had ample time to prove themselves, and it’s reasonable that the Rockies moved on when they did. Yes, Fernandez had bright spots, but the Rockies still had a franchise-worst 119 losses. No, those losses can’t be placed at Fernandez’s feet. But when you have a season like that, any change whatsoever is understandable, and usually a good thing. Additionally, if Fernandez clears waivers, he could remain with the Rockies organization anyway. Chivilli was part of a young and suddenly deep Rockies’ bullpen. He had intriguing potential, but also a 6.18 ERA in 73 career games.
The Rockies have a surplus of young arms in the bullpen and could afford to send Chivilli to the Yankees for a minor league infielder. Shortly after the Chivilli trade on January 28, the Rockies traded minor-league RHP Jace Kaminska to the Minnesota Twins for infielder Edouard Julien and RHP Pierson Ohl. Julien already has 267 MLB games under his belt over the last three seasons. Providing crucial infield depth for a Rockies team that is currently very thin at first and second base. Ohl, 26, is an RHP who started three games and played in 14 for the Twins last season. He posted a 5.10 ERA, but got batters to chase often and doesn’t issue a lot of walks.
Utilizing All Avenues
DePodesta said early in the Rockies’ offseason that he was going to utilize all avenues to improve the Rockies’ league-worst starting rotation. Refreshingly, he is using that approach for all of the Rockies’ roster. Which shouldn’t be celebrated but expected. But again, the Rockies had been marching to the beat of their own drum for a while now.
This new iteration of the Rockies has already made several trades with various organizations this offseason. Executives around the league have known and worked with DePodesta for a long time. Byrnes comes from the Dodgers organization. That previous experience outside of the Rockies’ atmosphere is proving fruitful already.
The Athletic interviewed executives around the MLB last July about the trading world of the MLB. The Rockies were brought up as one of the most difficult teams to trade with, often perplexing other organizations with their moves. Per the article, the Rockies made just 21 trades and didn’t trade with 16 of the 30 MLB teams from 2020-24.
A Massive Shift in the Trade Market
Under DePodesta, a massive shift has already happened on that front. DePodesta has made five trades this offseason with five different teams. Including the trade with the Diamondbacks for McCarthy. The Rockies made zero trades inside the National League West from 2020-24. The Rockies had also made zero trades with the Marlins and one trade with the Twins during that time span. DePodesta also traded with the Yankees and Red Sox. Two of the more active trade partners with the Rockies in recent seasons.
This is honestly the best news Rockies fans could have hoped for this offseason. Utilizing the trade market, DePodesta has brought in quality pitching and infield depth. Maximizing the value of low-leverage relievers, little-used minor league players, or players that had either struggled in Colorado or already been DFA’d to do so.
DePodesta isn’t signing Pete Alonso or Framber Valdez. That’s not realistic. But he is working with what the Rockies have.
Taking from positions with plenty of depth to help out positions of need. It already feels like the Rockies are in a much better place. There is a long way to go to competitive baseball. But the Rockies have the makings of a healthy, functional front office. Which is something that Rockies fans have been longing for for quite some time.
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