There are some areas where the Colorado Rockies would love an upgrade this offseason, Paul DePodesta's second season as president of baseball operations in Denver. One area that needs some turnover is with the starting pitching.
Last season, DePodesta went out and signed a handful of veteran free-agent pitchers, and they all didn't exactly work out. What Colorado did do in the 2026 season was have some young players cement themselves as key pieces of the future at some key positions. Cole Carrigg and TJ Rumfield are the first two that come to mind.
However, as we are finding out in the postseason and it is still true in the regular season, pitching wins when all is said and done. There are going to be some options for the Rockies to pursue this offseason and one low-risk, high-reward option could be a Boston Red Sox free-agent left-handed pitcher.
Rockies Have Low-Risk, High-Reward Free Agent Pitching Option
Patrick Sandoval's journey is one of belief. He suffered a torn UCL in June 2024, missed all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and finally made it back to the big leagues this July, 745 days after his previous appearance.
Despite his injury and recovery timeline, the Red Sox signed Sandoval to a two-year contract for $18.25 million in December of 2024. Sandoval, who will turn 30 years old on Sunday, had some tough numbers for Boston manager Chad Tracy, going 1-7 with a 5.12 ERA in 70.1 innings. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Angels.
So why Colorado? Well, Sandoval is unlikely to re-sign with Boston, and if there is ever a pitcher who could use a one-year prove-it deal, it's Sandoval. Why not the Rockies and DePodesta? If Sandoval could prove that he could manage pitching in Coors Field, he could be a free-agent steal or become a trade chip for DePodesta at the trade deadline.
It's all about reshaping the starting rotation this winter. The Michael Lorenzen experiment backfired this summer, while Jose Quintana dealt with injuries and Tomoyuki Sugano turned out to be the most reliable pitcher for manager Warren Schaeffer. The future of Kyle Freeland with the Rockies is also in doubt.
Colorado could go with a youth movement on the mound next season and if they do, then it could be another long season on the mound for Schaeffer and his staff. Sandoval is someone who could come in and lead a rotation on a prove-it deal that would be low-risk, high-reward. Still in a rebuild, these are the type of moves that DePodesta should be looking to make.
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