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DENVER -- Which Rockies players who suffered through one of baseball history’s worst seasons can be part of turning things around? That's one of the biggest questions facing new general manager Josh Byrnes.
The Rockies haven’t added anyone for the Major League roster since acquiring lefty reliever Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox for Minor League outfielder Braiden Ward on Nov. 18.
There must be additions, especially to an inexperienced starting pitching group. Veteran lefty Kyle Freeland and righty Ryan Feltner, injured for much of last season, are the only returning starters who were not rookies last season. There also could be experience added among the position players, but more to create depth than change the lineup dynamics.
But more time is being spent studying the players they have than chasing new ones.
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“That’s how we’ve approached it -- 43-119, it speaks for itself,” Byrnes said. “There is some talent here. There are some players that are intriguing or very young and are just getting their feet wet. We’re going through them carefully. How do we get the best out of them? Then think about step-by-step making our roster better as we go, and build toward a winning team and an October-caliber team.
“Getting to know these players is critical.”
Here are some reflections from an interview with Byrnes as the Rockies plan for 2026 but have their eyes beyond that season to future seasons.
Starting-type pitchers may be interested
“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.”
Pitchers have so rarely chosen to pitch in Colorado’s taxing and hitter-friendly altitude that recent front offices all but swore off chasing free agents. But Byrnes said early feedback suggests pitchers are more willing to listen than has been believed in recent years.
“There are different tiers of free agency,” Byrnes 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.”
The roster could be worth further study
If the right pitchers can be signed to the right kind of deals, the Rockies don’t necessarily have to lose players from their young core. That’s important.
The current roster has shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, a Gold Glove winner in 2024 coming off injuries in '25; center fielder Brenton Doyle, a two-time Gold Glove winner; and catcher Hunter Goodman, a Silver Slugger Award winner last season. Any or all could bring roster-changing players if used in a trade. But with Tovar signed through 2030 with a club option for '31, and Doyle and Goodman under club control through 2029, they could be among the leaders if the building program works.
“Like a lot of GMs, I don’t think there are untouchables, but you do want to have core players -- you’ve got to think through the guys you can win with,” Byrnes said. “That relates to age and service time.
“Those guys and others can be real players on a winning team. When you’ve lost 119 games, it might not feel that way, but there is some talent here. We’ve got to max them out and add more talent around them.”
Balancing experience against development
By the end of last season, not only were callups making the majority of pitching starts, but second baseman Ryan Ritter, third baseman Kyle Karros and outfielder Yanquiel Fernández were regulars or close to it. There were flashes but in all the cases there were signs they could have used more development time. All three had areas to improve physically.
While it would make sense to bring in a layer of established players and just commit to more development time for position players, the Rockies aren’t close enough to contention to commit to that type of spending.
“There’s a reality -- this is not the winter of trying to solve where we are through free agency,” Byrnes said. “We’ve got to build toward that this particular offseason.
“We are looking at guys that are good Major League players that fit some of our positional needs and are versatile. We can maneuver around, based on health and performance, and not get in the way of a longer-term focus.”
Even if veterans the Rockies acquire are not stars, Byrnes said they are crucial. Even a modest number of players that know their way around the Majors turn the Rockies’ model into one of true development, rather than the draft-and-promote model of recent years.
“Some of these guys haven’t spent a lot of time in Triple-A, and at this point they either need to develop more or need to compete for their Major League playing time,” Byrnes said. “Going outside to find guys who might be floor-raisers or whatever term you want to use could help us be more competitive.”
The Kris Bryant waiting game
The major issue that has limited him to 170 games in the first four years of a seven-year, $182 million contract -- lumbar degenerative disk disease -- means his health remains a question.
“As far as a month from getting into Spring Training and his readiness, I don’t know,” Byrnes said. “I haven’t heard anything definitive yet. It’s been a part of recent years. He’s just had a hard time getting on the field, and his contract is our biggest contract.”
The thought exercises are invigorating
Manager Warren Schaeffer’s close-to-complete Major League staff is full of new ideas, especially with pitching -- where pitching coach Alon Leichman has experimented with different in-game strategies and preparations, assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas received high marks for helping Tigers hurlers to major gains through pitch-shaping, bullpen coach Matt Buschmann arrives with teaching experience after working in player development with the Cubs and director of pitching Matt Daniels (who worked with former Rockies relief standout Adam Ottavino years ago) arrives with accomplishments applying advanced information in instruction.
“The four guys we brought in have a lot of different types of experience,” Byrnes said. “Now we’ve got to put our heads together and use the best ideas. Some will be different compared to the Rockies of previous years, maybe different from current industry trends in terms of what we’re looking for with our pitchers and how we’re going to deploy them. But this isn’t just chasing ideas. We’ve got to think through them, because it’s all got to be directed toward winning results.
“We’re aggressively optimistic, but it all leads toward one thing -- getting results and winning games.”
Byrnes didn’t reveal the plans when it comes to investing in coaching and information while developing players, but said he sees that aspect of the organization improving immediately and growing in the future.