The Rockies are coming off a 119-loss season, one of the worst in modern baseball history. The team’s start to struggle has been the main reason for the team’s poor performance. In 2025, Rockies starters had a 6.65 ERA, a league-worst K-BB rate, and allowed a league-worst 1.79 HR/9. So it’s no surprise that Rockies president of baseball Paul DePodesta has identified the rotation as a “period of focus” for his newly hired front office.
“We’d like to add some stability to the rotation,” DePodesta said in a phone interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “I think that’s obvious … given our current situation.” He went on to say that the team will consider trading from their bullpen and outfield depth to acquire starters, while relying on the development of existing starters. Speaking about his coaching staff, DePodesta said, “If we look at the number of personnel we have assigned to the playing side, there is room for improvement with the players we have.
The comments come across as typical boilerplate. As is well known, Rockies pitchers have the challenge of playing part of the season at a high altitude. Through 2021, the team’s starters have posted a league-worst 5.60 ERA and 28.3 fWAR, including just 1.5 fWAR in 2025. Its top starters this year in innings pitched Kyle Freeland, German Marquezagain Antonio Senzatela. Freeland was once an above-average starter but posted a 4.98 ERA in 162 2/3 innings this year, including a 5.75 mark at home. Although he is still riding as a self-proclaimed “ace”, he will play 2026 at the age of 33 and is unlikely to regain his former form.
Márquez had a nightmarish 6.70 ERA in 126 1/3 innings in 2025, with a below-average 14.0% strikeout rate. He is now a free agent and will likely not be re-signed. During that time, Senzatela’s 11.8% strikeout rate was a career low. He was demoted in the final month of the year and will not be guaranteed a transfer spot in 2026. Chase the Dollar again Tanner Gordon they are the only other Rockies starters to reach 60 innings this year, and both had ERAs in the mid-6.00s and struggled with the long ball.
Given those constraints, it’s not surprising that DePodesta wants to improve. Well, that’s easier said than done. Colorado is an unlikely destination for free-lancers who don’t want to see their stats drop from a Coors run. Indeed, the only major league free agent starting pitcher to sign with the Rockies through 2021 Chad Kuhl, José Ureñaagain Dakota Hudson. All three signed for one year and were excellent return projects. Ureña, whose $3.5MM contract in November 2022 was the team’s highest, made just five Rockies appearances in 2023 before being released that April.
The team faces a similar problem in trying to add starting pitchers via trade. Potential partners could use the Rockies’ home field disadvantage and pitching need to gain leverage in trade talks. Since 2021, most of the Rockies’ first acquisitions have been low-level trades and acquisitions. Arguably the highest profile acquisition was that of Cal Quantrill in November 2024. He threw 186 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA in 2023 but struggled badly in 2024 and was recently designated for assignment when he arrived in Colorado. With the downside in trade talks, the club is forced to rely more on internal options for starting pitching.
While it’s clear that teams want to get all the value they can from their existing players, the current rotation led by Freeland doesn’t inspire much confidence. For his part, DePodesta expressed confidence in his new coaches, but also acknowledged that internal development is part of the equation. Trades involving outfielders or relievers may be difficult to pull off. A middle player Brenton Doyle less likely to sell, while higher sales Jimmy Herget again Juan Mejia they were good in 2025 but have little if any records. The group can provide youth on the left Carson Palmquist bigger looks, but he struggled badly with control and home runs in his first start this year. Meanwhile, the Rockies have two prospects on MLB.com’s Top 100 list, neither of whom are pitchers.
What do you think is the best way for the Rockies to improve their starting pitching? Let us know in the poll below:
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
