Despite losing 100 games for the fourth year in a row, you can't deny that there were steps made by the Colorado Rockies in the right direction under first-year president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and his staff.
From DePodesta to manager Warren Schaeffer on the field, there were some things that made it a rather interesting and fun summer of baseball in the Mile High City. Some young players got a key season under their belt and a taste of things at the major league level. However, going into the offseason, there are a lot of questions surrounding not only the Rockies, but the rest of MLB.
A potential lockout looms in December, and that puts a cloudy outlook on next season and beyond. Before December, it will be business as usual for clubs, and when it comes to looking ahead to next season, if and when it begins, there is one area that needs to be addressed by DePodesta and the front office to continue to have things head in the right direction: starting pitching.
Rockies Need To Address Starting Pitching Going Into 2027 Season
Pitching wins, and that is the case every single season. Simply put, Colorado just doesn't have enough of it and truth be told, getting free agents to go to Denver is not something they are signing up for. For instance, last winter, DePodesta signed some low-risk, high-reward starters to put in the rotation around Kyle Freeland.
Not all the moves worked out. For instance, Michael Lorenzen was a bust from the beginning and was released before being picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays. Things were bad in Colorado, and it didn't get any better in Toronto. Jose Quintana dealt with injuries, while Tomoyuki Sugano turned out to be the best addition to the group.
Again, the Rockies aren't a landing spot free-agent pitchers are going to be lining up to sign with. Veterans Michael King and Sonny Gray would hit the open market, but neither would consider Colorado, regardless of how much money Colorado could and would throw at them. DePodesta's best route might be addressing it through a trade or two, but that would likely mean parting ways with Hunter Goodman or another top player, something DePodesta can't really afford to do currently.
Right now, it's about continuing to improve each year for the Rockies with the young core in place, but as much as they improve in the field and at the plate, pitching will always be a priority going forward.
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