DENVER -- The Rockies will have a new plan at second base. After declining the 2026 option for Thairo Estrada on Monday, Colorado outrighted him off the 40-man Major League roster on Thursday. Estrada opted for free agency.
The Rockies also claimed right-handed reliever Garrett Acton off waivers from the Rays on Thursday. Acton, 27, made his Major League debut in 2023, playing six games with the A's (12.71 ERA), and he appeared with the Rays for one scoreless inning in '25.
Last year at Triple-A Durham, Acton went 5-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 45 games, including four starts. In four Minor League seasons, Acton is 16-12 with a 4.39 ERA in 151 games (six starts), and he has 283 strikeouts against 85 walks.
The moves leave the Rockies’ roster at 39 players.
Injuries (right wrist fracture, sprained left thumb and strained right hamstring) limited Estrada to 39 games last season (.253, 3 HR, 21 RBIs), after he was signed for one year plus a 2026 option to pair with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. However, injuries to both players meant they started just 12 games together.
Estrada would have been eligible for arbitration, but the Rockies -- who are without a baseball operations leader but are being run by a group of officials who remained after former general manager Bill Schmidt stepped down at the end of the 2025 season -- decided to part ways.
Estrada’s injuries opened opportunities for rookie Ryan Ritter, who excelled at Triple-A Albuquerque (.303, 16 HR, 50 RBIs in 55 games) and received regular playing time over 60 games with the Rockies (.241, 1 HR, 18 RBIs, 9 2B, 3 3B).