Schmidt steps down as GM, Rockies begin external search for new head of baseball ops

DENVER -- The Rockies announced that they are immediately beginning an “external search” for a new head of their baseball operations on Wednesday, while announcing that Bill Schmidt has stepped down from the general manager post that he has held since 2021.

After three straight seasons of 100-plus losses, including a Majors-worst 43-119 performance in 2025, the Rockies are seeking their fifth leader of baseball operations in a history that began with original GM Bob Gebhard in 1992, a year before the expansion club took the field.

It is the first time they’ve gone outside the organization since the club hired Dan O’Dowd as GM in October 1999. The next two GMs were promoted from within. Jeff Bridich moved from player development director to GM to replace O’Dowd after the 2014 season. Schmidt had been vice president of scouting before becoming interim GM days May 2, 2021 – days after Bridich stepped down after the blowback from the trade earlier in the year of star third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals. Schmidt was promoted to the job officially after the ‘21 season.

Schmidt, 66, was brought in by O’Dowd in ‘99 to head the scouting department and was in charge of MLB Drafts that included many of the players on the 2007 team that appeared in the World Series, and National League Division Series in 2009 with O’Dowd as GM, and 2017-18 under Bridich.

“After a number of conversations, we decided it is time for me to step aside and make way for a new voice to guide the club’s baseball operations,” Schmidt said in the club’s press release. “It’s been an honor to serve in the Rockies family for over 25 years. I’m thankful to the Monfort family for the opportunity, to my family for their constant support, and our staff for their tireless dedication. Better seasons are ahead for the Rockies and our great fans, and I look forward to seeing it come to life in the years ahead.”

While lauding Schmidt’s longtime service to the club, Rockies owner, chairman and CEO Dick Monfort said a new direction with outside voices is welcome.

“Bill has been an integral part of the Rockies family for over 25 years with countless contributions to the organization over that time,” Montfort said in the release. “We are deeply grateful for his service, his friendship, and his dedication and wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.

“As with any transition, Bill’s departure allows our club to seek a new leader of our baseball department experienced in areas where we know we need to grow within the operation. A new voice will benefit our organization as we work towards giving our fans the competitive team they deserve.”

The Rockies’ announcement is the first move in what figures to be a busy offseason, after an arduous season – with the loss total one fewer than the 1962 Mets for the National League Modern Era record and two fewer than the overall loss leader, the 2024 White Sox.

Early in the year, the club relieved Hensley Meulens of the hitting coach job on April 17, and on May 11 it parted ways with ninth-year manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond. Warren Schaeffer served as interim manager the remainder of the season. Among other changes, former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle moved from special front-office assistant to a job in uniform, first as hitting coach then as bench coach.

Wednesday’s release did not address Schaeffer or the coaching staff.

Off the field, on June 26, the club announced that Walker Monfort, son of Dick Monfort, will become executive vice president with Greg Feasel stepping down as club president at season’s end.

Walker Monfort has spent his time evaluating the organization, and in Wednesday’s press release he made clear he and the Rockies seek new ideas.

“We are setting our sights on finding the right leader from outside our organization who can bring a fresh perspective to the Rockies and enhance our baseball operations with a new vision, innovation, and a focus on both short and long-term success,” Monfort said. “This change delivers an opportunity to shape the future of our club and move forward into a new era of Rockies baseball.”

The bottoming out was years in the making. Before the 2022 season, ownership and Schmidt fostered the signing of former Cubs star Kris Bryant for seven years and $182 million, but injuries -- mainly a back injury diagnosed as lumbar degenerative disk disease -- have limited him to 170 games over four seasons, with all paths to health having thus far not approached the goal.

There was little in the way of free agency beyond Bryant. Under Schmidt, the Rockies continued a philosophy of locking up young players to multi-year deals. Schmidt made the following signings: Righty pitcher Antonio Senzatela for five years, $50.5 million after the ‘21 season; third baseman Ryan McMahon for six years and $70 million and lefty pitcher Kyle Freeland for five years and $64.5 million in 2022; and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar for seven years and $63.5 million in 2024. The team also three times (twice under Schmidt) reached deals to keep righty pitcher Germán Márquez in Purple Pinstripes.

Such strategy drew praise in years the Rockies made the postseason, but these deals have been riddled with inconsistency and injuries -- most seriously when Senzatela and Márquez underwent Tommy John surgeries in 2023. Márquez in ‘21 and McMahon in ‘24 each made All-Star teams, and the McMahon deal could have a lasting impact, as Schmidt was able to swing a trade this year with the Yankees to land two prospects -- lefty starting pitcher Griffin Herring (Rockies No. 9 prospect), who made the MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Year after a strong year in High-A, and righty starter Josh Grosz (Rockies No. 20).

Other Deadline situations didn’t work.

In 2021, teams backed away from shortstop Trevor Story because of an elbow problem, and righty pitcher Jon Gray was not dealt -- with the Rockies believing they had a commitment to a contract extension.

The club received Draft compensation when Story signed with the Red Sox (outfielder and current No. 15 prospect Sterlin Thompson), but nothing when Gray opted for a four-year, $56 million deal with the Rangers. In 2022, closer Daniel Bard agreed to a two-year, $19 million contract rather than be traded, but Bard spent much of the remainder of his career on the injured list and retired after right elbow surgery.

The personnel issues left the Rockies almost wholly dependent on their farm system. By the end of the year, the team was the youngest in the Majors at an average age of 26.2 years. In fact, 19 players who appeared at Double-A Hartford the last two years have made Major League debuts -- hardly an ideal experience level for a club to be competitive.

Several similar small-to-mid-market clubs have found success in the cutting-edge use of advanced information in scouting, player acquisition, on-field coaching and game-planning.

If the announcement is an indication, new leadership will have a mandate to enact change.