The Rockies have not made any significant moves since Paul DePodesta took control of baseball operations two months ago. They are one of two teams that have yet to sign a free agent to a major league deal. Unlike the Red Sox (another fictitious team), Colorado didn’t make much of a trade either. Their only trade priority was to get a lefty reliever Brennan Bernardino from Boston and dealing a first-round pick Ryan Rolison leave with money.
A quiet season was always expected for a new manager working with one of the worst rosters in MLB history. The Rox will not invest heavily in the 2026 team. They don’t have many production veterans to hold their own in the commercial market. The exception could be in the outfield, as DePodesta said he would move away from that area to try to add controlled pitching.
Let’s look at the possibilities.
Brenton Doyle
Doyle probably has the highest ceiling of any Colorado outfielder. They may also be less likely to move. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last month that the Rox were reluctant to sell short of the 27-year-old forward. Doyle is under arbitration control for four seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz earned $3.2MM.
A defensive player, Doyle has been a must for teams looking for help in the youth market. The question is whether you can give something on the plate. Doyle looked to have taken a step forward in 2024. He hit 23 homers while dropping his strikeout rate nearly 10 percent from his 35 percent mark as a rookie. His bat dropped dramatically last year, as he hit a .233/.274/.376 line with 15 homers. He kept his strikeout rate to 25% but hit more ground balls and made less of a power impact than last year.
Mickey Moniak
Moniak is coming off his best year at the plate. Signed to a $1.25MM contract after being released by the Angels in Spring Training, the lefty hit a career-high 24 homers in Colorado. He hit .270/.306/.518 in 461 trips to the bowl. Moniak made hard contact (95 MPH+ exit velocity) on 45% of his balls in play, the best mark in his six MLB seasons.
The numbers above would seem to make the former first baseman a solid chip pick for a rebuilding team. A lower split is less flattering. Moniak did a lot of damage at Coors Field, where he hit .303/.348/.598 with 15 long balls. His .230/.255/.425 slash from Denver is less encouraging. Moniak’s average stats are boosted by his usage, as Rox has protected him in 60 plate appearances against left-handed pitching.
There was also a dramatic drop in Moniak’s defensive grades. He was a solid, if not exceptional, outfielder who could handle all three outfield positions for the Angels. His numbers in Colorado were below average regardless of where he played. Moniak remains a versatile runner with an average arm, so the tools are there to be a capable defender, but it’s another question for interested clubs.
Moniak has between four and five years of service. He is controllable until 2027 and is expected to earn $4.2MM in arbitration.
Tyler Freeman
Colorado acquired Freeman last season Nolan Jones trading with guards. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each had him below replacement level in his first year in Colorado. However, he showed the same profile he had in Cleveland that made him a trade target for the Rox last year.
Freeman hit .281/.354/.361 while striking out less than 12% of his 428 plate appearances. He was the most dangerous person in the group. The 26-year-old lacks power but puts the ball in play and has great pace. As was the case with Moniak, Freeman’s WAR was disappointing with terrible defensive metrics that didn’t fully match his athleticism and arm strength.
A team that views defensive ends as a one-year blip could still look into Freeman as a utility piece they’re willing to trade for a deep arm. He is controllable for three seasons with a projected $1.8MM settlement and has a minor league option remaining.
Jordan Beck
A supplemental first-round pick in 2022, Beck began watching MLB two years later. He had a rough outing as a rookie, hitting at a 35% clip while hitting .188 through his first 55 games. His second season was very promising. Beck spent a few weeks at Triple-A in April but was on the MLB roster for the rest of the season. He worked as a left back for Colorado and put up decent stats. Beck hit 16 home runs, 27 doubles, and five triples while stealing 19 bases.
Beck’s .258/.317/.416 batting line was worse than league average after accounting for Coors Field. He hit about 30% of his swings and struggled down the stretch, hitting .250/.316/.377 with a 32% slugging percentage after the All-Star Break. Beck’s physical tools are interesting. He has above average bat speed, runs well, and has a strong arm. Method and pure hitting ability have been questions since his college days, however, and the Rockies are likely to hold on to him to see if he makes any moves at age 25.
Yanquiel Fernandez/Zac Veen
Veen and Fernández are corner outfielders who have been ranked among the top offensive prospects in the Colorado program. Both players hit well against the young players but it seemed like they were facing a high level pitch. And it doesn’t have any kind of MLB record. Veen has played only 12 league games. Fernández hit .225/.265/.348 over 147 plate appearances as a rookie.
Both players have options left. They are likely ticketed to Triple-A Albuquerque as things stand. They are each small enough to change places if the new state of Colorado is not there for them like the previous office was. That is true and I hope Sterling Thompsonthe only other outfielder on the 40-man roster. Thompson appears to have a good chance to play his way into Warren Schaeffer Stadium next season on the heels of a .296/.392/.519 showing in Albuquerque.
