It was another quiet offseason for the Colorado Rockies. Per MLBTradeRumors, the Rockies tied for 19th in Major League Baseball with just $8.5 million spent in guarantees for three players. As for their division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants handed out over $100 million in guarantees, while the Los Angeles Dodgers spent a whopping $287 million. Despite six straight seasons of finishing fourth or last in the National League West, the Rockies, yet again, were not big spenders and will mostly look in-house for an improved record. The lack of spending and the continuous stance by owner Dick Monfort that the Rockies have the roster to compete in the NL does not inspire hope heading into spring training.
How Did the Rockies Do This Offseason?
Additions
The Rockies made moves on the margins this offseason. Two of the signings were for depth purposes, while the third was a signing based largely on potential. Re-signing catcher Jacob Stallings for one year and $2 million was a smart, cost-effective move for Colorado. Stallings was solid as a reserve last season and built a rapport with the Rockies’ current pitching staff. He was likely the best option for the Rockies and will be a good veteran presence for young catchers Drew Romo and Hunter Goodman. The other depth signing, Kyle Farmer, will likely see the field only sparingly.
INF Kyle Farmer will wear number 6. Last worn by C Brian Serven in 2023.
INF Thairo Estrada will wear number 39. Last worn by RHP Brent Suter in 2023. pic.twitter.com/rkw5tbWxjW
— MLB Jersey Numbers (@NumbersMLB) February 13, 2025
It is a crowded infield for the Rockies, and Farmer will serve as a veteran reserve off the bench. Farmer is behind both starter Thairo Estrada and second-year player Adael Amador at second base. Farmer, who hit a measly .214/.293/.353 with the Minnesota Twins last season, will be an insurance policy and can fill an infield position if the Rockies are in a jam. But if everything goes according to plan, the Rockies will likely see little of the 34-year-old this year. They had a void to fill at second when they non-tendered veteran Brendan Rodgers this offseason. After signing Farmer for depth, the Rockies signed the 28-year-old Estrada from the Giants for one year worth $3.25 million.
Estrada has performed very well at Coors Field in his career and projects to be an offensive nightmare for opposing pitchers in Denver this season. Overall, he had a solid 2022-23 before dealing with an injury-riddled 2024. The Rockies are banking on Estrada seeing more success overall offensively now that he is out of San Francisco. On defense, Estrada is similar to Rodgers. He also has compiled 52 stolen bases in his career, compared to just one by Rodgers. Estrada adds to the Rockies’ vision to get younger and faster. However, the Rockies signed no sure-fire MLB veterans despite having holes at several positions. They are largely counting on bounce-back seasons from oft-injured players and a big impact from their prospects.
The Rockies Wanted to Shed Payroll
The Rockies announced early in the offseason that they were looking to shed payroll. Following that announcement, the Rockies shopped LHP Austin Gomber, non-tendered second baseman Brendan Rodgers, and RHP Cal Quantrill. Despite dealing with constant injuries in his Colorado career, Rodgers had served as the starter at second base for the past several seasons. Quantrill was one of the best pitchers in the Rockies rotation in 2024 and recently signed with the Miami Marlins. With RHP Antonio Senzatela and RHP Germán Márquez both coming back from injury, the Rockies saw Quantrill as the odd man out in the rotation.
No deal materialized for Gomber and he is set to be a part of the Rockies rotation this season. Per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Rockies were looking to add a consistent hitter and a veteran reliever this offseason. Presumably, the Rockies feel that they have added a consistent hitter in Estrada. Colorado did not add a reliever this offseason outside of non-roster invitees. The bullpen will be counted on to bounce back with largely the same cast as last season, despite an awful 2024 that resulted in the Rockies bullpen being a distant 30th in MLB with a bullpen ERA of 5.41, per Covers.com.
This season will be an important barometer for the Rockies’ young talent. Players such as first baseman Michael Toglia, Amador, and outfielders Jordan Beck and Sean Bouchard will all receive plenty of reps to continue their development. Several prospects such as RHP Chase Dollander and outfielder Zac Veen are projected to debut this season. If the Rockies are successful this season, it will be cost-effective with so much of their roster dedicated to younger players on team-friendly deals. Colorado is counting on veterans, Kris Bryant and Nolan Jones, to have bounce-backs after injury-riddled seasons in 2024. The same goes for the Rockies rotation, which will be relying heavily on Márquez and Senzatela to stay healthy.
Rockies Offseason Grade
It was more of the same for the Rockies this offseason. Throughout their history, they have rarely been big spenders in free agency. They largely rely on their homegrown talent to field a competitive team. They are led by center fielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, two young stars to build around in Colorado. Toglia and RHP Ryan Feltner showed plenty of potential last season and will be fun to follow this season. But the rest of the roster is relying too heavily on players with question marks and bounce-back seasons. Bryant still has to show he can be healthy for an extended period. His time in Colorado could not have gotten off to a worse start to this point. Jones had a disaster in 2024 after a stellar 2023. He will have to prove he can be the player he was in 2023.
PECOTA projects Colorado will have another 100+ loss season in their extended rebuild this year. The Rockies have done nothing to dispel that with their standard operating procedure this offseason. The signings of Estrada and Stallings were smart and cost-effective, but will not be enough to change the team’s outlook significantly. No attention to their bullpen is very worrying based on the unit’s performance last season.
The Rockies receive a “D” grade for their offseason. They once again settled with the status quo and expect significant improvement from largely the same roster as last season’s 100+ loss squad. It is possible the Rockies were shedding payroll to sign Doyle to a long-term contract this spring. That would improve their grade and show that the front office is committed to the future with this team, but until that extension happens, it is another lackluster offseason in Colorado.
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