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DENVER -- The Rockies will add to their investment in pitching development by inviting prospects, who have accumulated in recent Drafts and acquisitions, to a pitching mini-camp from Jan. 16-21 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Steve Foster, the Rockies’ director of pitching operations, said the camp is a logical next step in the organization’s attempt to build lasting quality and depth.

“We want to get all of our new [draftees], as well as some of our top pitching prospects, all together, getting to know one another, building relationships,” said Foster, who was the Major League pitching coach from 2015-21. “We’re working on what we think is the future of the Rockies. It’s no secret. We’ve talked ad nauseam about how important pitching is and that you can never have enough of it.

“Bill Schmidt in his first full year as general manager, and Marc Gustafson, who took over as scouting director from ‘Schmitty,’ made it a point to not only make the majority of our Draft choices pitchers, but the right type of pitchers. They’re big, strong-bodied, mentally tough guys that are getting to know one another. We want to teach them our philosophy of pitching at Coors Field.”

The Rockies made the biggest jump of any organization in the latest MLB Pipeline rankings, but the improvement was driven by hitters -- recent power-hitting draftees and a strong group of international signees. In 2022, the team used two of its three first-round picks on potential power hitters -- infielder/outfielder Sterlin Thompson (Rockies No. 7 prospect) and outfielder Jordan Beck (No. 9) -- and added shortstop Ryan Ritter (No. 28) in the fourth round. But they were surrounded by pitchers -- Gonzaga righty Gabriel Hughes (No. 5) in the first round, Toutle Lake (Wash.) High righty Jackson Cox (No. 12) in the second, and University of Miami lefty Carson Palmquist (No. 20) in the third. After the fourth round, the team took only three other position players the rest of the Draft.

Since the season ended, the team sent reliever Chad Smith to the A’s for righty Jeff Criswell, and dealt utility man Connor Joe to the Pirates for righty Nick Garcia. Both newcomers were early-round picks in 2020 -- Criswell in the second round and Garcia in the third.

So it’s time to work on developing them and other recently drafted pitchers.

Helping the mini-camp in addition to Foster will be manager Bud Black, Major League pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Reid Cornelius, every pitching coach at every level as well as coordinators, and pitching coordinator Flint Wallace, who is helping spearhead the building of an upgraded pitching lab at the team’s complex.

Additionally, longtime former player, coach, manager and front-office official Marcel Lachemann, who served as the Rockies’ pitching coach from 2000-01, has rejoined the organization as senior advisor of player development and will be part of ushering in the young pitchers at the camp and beyond.

In the past, the Rockies have had pitching summits at Coors to trade ideas and work through problems. Foster said player development director Chris Forbes pushed the idea of the mini-camp as part of a “player-centric culture” that the team believes will eventually lead to improved performance.

The camp will consist of pitchers not on the Major League 40-man roster.