The Rockies are looking for a few veterans to eat innings in their rotation, general manager Josh Byrnes tells Thomas Harding of MLB.com. “We’ve played out scenarios where we would attempt to bring in two guys who can stabilize that area — who can not only pitch well but know how to give us some bulk innings, which any team needs,” Byrnes said. “That’s probably how we’re trying to map it out. There is a lot of unknown with what pops up in trades or free agency, but we need to add in that area.”
It’s a sensible target for the club. The Colorado rotation was historically bad in 2025. The club’s starters had a combined earned run average of 6.65. According to a post from Harding back in October, that was the highest rotation ERA of any club since the stat became official in 1913. Coors Field obviously plays a role in the struggles but the numbers were bad even compared to previous Colorado clubs. The group was further thinned out at season’s end when Germán Márquez became a free agent. In short, there’s nowhere to go but up.
Right now, the club projects to have a couple of experienced arms in the mix. Kyle Freeland is going into his tenth big league season and is still under contract through 2026, with a conditional player option for 2027. Ryan Feltner has 339 2/3 innings under his belt. Those two have experience but don’t provide much in terms of optimism. Feltner has a career 5.19 ERA with average ground ball and walk rates but subpar strikeout numbers. Freeland’s ERA has been around 5.00 for three straight years now.
Antonio Senzatela was moved to the bullpen in August. Manager Warren Schaeffer said in September that the club planned to keep him there going forward, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Senzatela is signed through 2026 with a $14MM club option for 2027. Given his 6.65 ERA last year and the fact that there’s no buyout on that option, it will surely be declined.
Beyond Freeland and Feltner, the other rotation options are lacking in experience. Chase Dollander came into 2025 as one of the top pitching prospects in the league but he posted a 6.52 ERA in 98 innings in his rookie season. The 40-man roster also features Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown, Carson Palmquist, Gabriel Hughes and Bradley Blalock but everyone in that group has fewer than 110 big league innings pitched. Hughes hasn’t yet pitched in the big leagues. The other four names in that cluster have ERAs north of 7.00.
Given that context, adding a few veterans would make plenty of sense. They could stabilize the group and give the decision-makers some freedom in keeping the younger guys in the minors until they’re ready.
Getting those veterans to Colorado has usually been a challenge. Given the hitter-friendly environment up at altitude, free agent pitchers generally don’t want to sign with the Rockies. Looking at MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to 2006, the club has only thrice signed a free agent pitcher to a deal with an eight-figure average annual value in that span. They signed Jorge De La Rosa to a three-year, $32MM deal back in 2010, then a one-year, $15MM deal with Jeff Francis in 2012, followed by a three-year, $52MM deal for Wade Davis in 2017.
Byrnes provided a hint of optimism, for what it’s worth. “There are different tiers of free agency,” the GM said. “It’s kind of interesting, without naming names. But with guys on shorter deals, I think there’s some intrigue. Everyone around the game knows it’s harder to pitch in Colorado, but I think a couple of guys want to take on that challenge, and we’ve brought in a pitching group that will turn over every rock to get at it and solve this thing.”
Without Byrnes providing any details, it can only be guessed what kind of free agents he’s talking about. It would make some sense for a pitcher towards the end of his career to be more game for the experiment, since he wouldn’t have to worry so much about a poor performance tanking his future earning power. That could align with the kind of short-term deal Byrnes alluded to.
Given the state of the club, the Rockies aren’t going to target the top available free agents like Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez or Zac Gallen. But veterans like Wade Miley, Miles Mikolas, Alex Cobb, Jose Quintana, Patrick Corbin or Martín Pérez make speculative sense. They’re all 35 or older and will be looking at one-year offers in free agency.
The Rockies could also try to bring in starters via trade, though they don’t have a ton to offer other clubs. Any guys on their roster with trade value would ideally be flipped for prospects or controllable players. Perhaps they could take on an undesirable contract from another club, though that path also comes with challenges. The Blue Jays and Mets may be looking to move on from José Berríos and Kodai Senga, respectively, but grabbing someone like that would require the Rockies to take on a notable salary during rebuilding years. Berríos is slated to make $66MM over the next three years and Senga $28MM over the next two. Perhaps those clubs would be willing to eat some money to facilitate a deal but Berríos has an eight-team no-trade clause and Senga can block trades to ten teams. Given the state of the Rockies and the challenges of pitching there, it seems fair to assume that the Rockies would be blocked by both guys.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
Doyle for Will Warren
Rockies say no.
Doyle, a CF (position that we don’t need) for a guy who can’t hit righties (.560 OPS) and can’t hit away from Coors Field (.460 OPS) vs a SP, that while not spectacular, did tie for the league lead in starts (33), did allow fewer hits than IP, did record more strike outs than IP and oddly, pitched better in a home park viewed as a hitters park (3.50) than on the road (5.50). Add the 5 years of control, including 2 pre arbitrary and the upside and I’ll gladly pass on Doyle for the homegrown pitcher please.
But are veteran additions interested in the Rockies?
If they want to stay in the league, they will. The Rockies are pretty much the last stop on the train.
“Rockies interested in things they can’t have”
I suggest they put a call into Marcus Stroman and his career 56% GB rate plus a career 3.12 ERA in 4 starts at Coors where he’s only allowed 1 homer. That’s of course if they can get past his alleged “clubhouse cancer” tag. He would be a great candidate for a 1 year “prove I got it” deal. He can eat innings and if he looks good at the deadline should be tradable.
Stroman being a “clubhouse cancer” probably won’t matter because the Rockies might win 50-60 games in a best case scenario this year, and he’ll be midseason trade bait anyway if he has even a hint of something left in the tank.
Younger pitchers will avoid the team because it won’t help their future earnings. Veterans that are still looking to play this year, and remain unsigned, don’t have much to lose. Plus, if they do well, they may get moved to a contender. Hopefully, they will be a good influence with the home growns while they are there.
How long before we can take Holliday and Condon away from you bums?
Those aren’t even the Rockies best prospects. They’ve been killing it lately in the Latin signee category. They’ve got a couple years of suckage yet but this will turn around faster than you think.
I’ll just take those two for now. Will check back in with the international guys 👍🏻
“They’ve got a couple years of suckage yet but this will turn around faster than you think.”
Make sure to copypaste this in 2 years.
Nobody is signing with the Rockies. 3 years, 50 million should get Patrick Corbin.
Get Get a knuckleballer.
I don’t think a knuckleball would work too well at altitude. Would be interesting to know though.
Has COL ever tried having a bunch of sinker ball pitchers combined with an airtight infield defence?
Marcus Stroman would be nice.
Sinker pitches turn into bombs in Coors
@new
They must not be sinking then. Otherwise that makes zero sense.
Lighter air means less movement on pitches.
These guys don’t have a clue.
I’m interested in tasteful nudes of Laura San Giacomo
Define ‘tasteful’.
Free?
Answering “Free?” made the joke. I am still chuckling thanks.
Ha!!
Ones that involve vegetables
How many u want?
Of course the Rockies want pitching,the problem is pitching doesn’t want the Rockies. They have to go with reclamation projects or vets with no other clubs interested, because no one else wants to sign with them and get their stats blown up pitching there.
Why do people keep saying that? Lots of veterans have gone to Colorado at or near the end of their career because they want to remain big league pitchers. Jon Garland, Roy Oswalt, jamie Moyer, and others have ended their careers in Denver. The Rockies haven’t done it much recently primarily because they went young with the rotation in 2017 with Jon Gray, Freeland, Marquez, and senzatela. They didn’t need vets.
But someone like Patrick Corbin is not going to get a big league offer from a contender. And there is really no hope of him ever regaining his youth. But if he wants to remain in the big leagues, he has a chance in Colorado.
@hiflew
You’re pretty much making @bigs point. only the desperados go to Colorado.
He is not 100% wrong, but his point is not 100% correct either. They did go through that route for the first half of the 2010s decade, but it’s not the only tactic they have ever tried. As I said, from 2017 – now, they have gone with a purely homegrown rotation for the most part and spent a lot of money of the bullpen. The late 90s/early 2000s, they went with expensive free agents that did not work out well for the most part.. The late 2000s were also pretty much a homegrown rotation. Perhaps not coincidentally the two times they went with a young homegrown rotation is also the most successful times in franchise history.
@hiflew
I don’t think the objective is to win right now. They aren’t looking for an ace. They are looking for a pitcher or two just to eat innings. Their SP staff pitched the 2nd fewest innings last year. my guess they’d like to end that until their younger pitching is read
Honestly it makes me sick that any fan is willing to accept anything less than 100% effort to win. I’m not delusional and expecting a World series in 2026, but to just outright say that the objective is not to win is ludicrous to me. As the great Herman Edwards once said, “You play to win the game.” I will be buying the MLB package once again in 2026, but the Rockies need to show improvement for me to consider 2027 and going forward. I refuse to spend my money watching people that might try to win in a few years or so. f that is how the Rockies are going to be, I’ll just find (hopefully) something better to do with my time and money.
Simple solution: you should find something better to do with your time and money than watch the Rockies.
No. Coors Field ended their careers
No, Father Time ended their careers. It just happened to be in Coors.
Damn edit disappeared on me. As I was getting ready to say, pitchers like Bill Swift, Sarryl Kile, Mike Hampton, and Denny Neagle all signed in Colorado in their primes. It was not the pitchers that chose to stop in Denver, it was the Rockies that chose to stop spending on pitching. What is the point of spending a lot on a big name pitcher when you’ll get about the same results from a lesser guy at a fraction of the cost. Even Kershaw’s career Coors ERA was almost 5.00.
Target ground ball pitchers, like Jose Quintana and Merrill Kelly.
Merrill Kelly signed.
D’OH! You’re right, I forgot!
Rockies will sign Sugano and trade Doyle to the O’s for Bradfield.
I know this because I am a crystal ball
I don’t think the Orioles will trade Bradfield for Doyle though.
You might want to go get a check up because second half of our prediction is just silly. Why would the Rockies trade Doyle straight up for a guy who’s ceiling is right around where Doyle is now. If everything worked out perfectly for Bradfield, he might get to Doyle’s level. But the odds of everything working perfectly are slim.
Because it’d be more years of a Doyle level player starting around 2027 and the O’s would get less years of a Doyle level player (literally Doyle lol) now when it matters and they need the defense.
As I said, the odds of it working that way are slim. Bradfield is NOT a Doyle-level player. He has the potential to become that, but it is not a guarantee. That is why most proven are traded for multiple prospects. Because the odds of prospects working out are very slim. There is no sense in trading a guy with 4 years of control remaining for a single prospect that may or may not work out.
I’ve got 2 of those.
Bring Jordan Lyles home!
The Rockies and D-Backs usually like to go for each other’s former players, so I would bet that Miley and/or Corbin would be targeted.
Brady Singer seems to fit the bill for what the Rox are looking for. Bonafide innings eater.
Justin Verlander’s a veteran.
Rich Hill too. Rich Hill was the oldest pitcher in MLB last year. Verlander wants W’s, so he probably won’t sign with the Rockies, White Sox, Nationals, etc.
unfortunately, their gonna get a older vet, thats not that good and will take a mlb contract(vs a milb) to play in Colorado- as a last resort. No decent pitcher would want to hurt their resume by getting shelled and shellac ‘d in that ball park. AND they are gonna have to over pay for pitching
Hampton had a good year there
When they were last competitive in 2017-18, they actually had a really good rotation. Marquez, Gray, Freeland all had good peaks surprisingly.
Is Berrios really that bad that the BJs want to unload him?
Berríos still had some quality to him but based on stories out in the rumursphere he is on bad terms with the jays after not being on playoff roster. How about Marcus Stroman, and his long history of being a ground ball pitcher. He is probably desperate for an MLB deal
winner winner chicken 🐔 dinner 🍽 🥳🥳
Maybe liberatore and gorman for some minor league pitching or ourfield prospects?
That would be very disappointing simply because I really wanted Gorman in the Arenado trade. I’d hate to get him after he didn’t work out as expected. It would be Matt Adams all over again.
He strikes out alot, but in that ballpark he may hit a 600ft homer or 2. If he could cut his strikeouts down by even 5 percent he’d be a very useful player. And liberatore is his best friend so they may do well together moving to a different team
I hear Denny Neagle and Mike Hampton could be available
Rockies to sign Cookie Carrasco.
Dont come looking at White Sox rotation
Trade for Luis Severino
I don’t see the Rockies going for Severino or for Stroman. The owner does not care for malcontents or “locker room cancers” regardless of the talent level. It is why Ubaldo and Tulo were sent packing while CarGo and Blackmon were kept.
Ubaldo? I don’t remember him being a malcontent or locker room cancer. Based on his no- hitter, he sure was a fantastic pitcher.
Another day gone, no action, all talk, and fewer free agents now available. I fear that Rockies’ management is mired in analysis paralysis. By the time they make a decision, they might find that no one decent is left.
Same as the Padres. Not a peep this entire year so far.
The Rockies could be out there making hefty offers to every free agent out there but nobody wants to play for a team who just lost 119 games last year. New front office too, and they don’t have much of anything valuable to trade either. At least for now you’ll see reclamation projects, has-beens, and never-weres cycling through until they have a solidified pipeline of developing prospects.
Verlander and Sherzer both came to mind instantly. Verlander was the second oldest SP in MLB last year, behind Rich Hill. Speaking of Hill… Seems like he could be a Rockie…
Baseball in me will die a bit more when we see the end of the yearly Wade Miley sweepstakes
They could also look at older AAAA types. There are probably a few players who didn’t go overseas but are not looked at as anything more than non-roster filler due to their age. They might find a late bloomer.