Give Paul DePodesta some credit. Before the season began, he pretty much told anyone who’d listen that it was going to be a season of experimentation. The Colorado Rockies needed to see what they had before they’d know everything that they still need.
It certainly played out that way. A few of the experiments – like trading for and inserting young TJ Rumfield at first base and bringing outfielder Jake McCarthy over from Arizona – worked better than expected. In-season moves like bringing up young Cole Carrigg proved to be an excellent decision, and so was having faith in Kyle Karros and of course 40-homer guy Hunter Goodman.
On the pitching side, trading for former Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino proved to be a good call, and grabbing Jordan Romano off waivers from the Angels gave them the experienced closer they haven’t had in years. A couple of the young arms – specifically right hander Mason Adams coming over from the White Sox – look promising, too.
But that’s about it on the pitching side. Everything else about the Rockies’ pitching experiment – from hiring an inexperienced pitching coach and staff to the underdeveloped arms they continued to send out daily – were failed experiments.
The Rockies’ president of baseball operations went on TV on Sunday and was honest about the need to not waste a minute of the offseason, which has (for the Rockies, at least) now begun. With a lockout looming in December, the time to make impactful moves this off season is short. If they don’t want a fifth straight 100-loss season, they need to start making moves right away. They’ve got two months. Die-hard fans will remember that after the last lockout, in 2021, they waited until a post-lockout condensed and hurried off season before signing free agent Kris Bryant on the eve of the spring training. Oops.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Bryant, who made $26 million in 2026, was the Rockies’ highest paid player; exceeding Kyle Freeland’s salary by $14 million. Bryant, who has been paid $130 million by the Rockies for 170 games played over five seasons, is still owed $56 million through the 2029 campaign.
This year’s crop of free agents aren’t available until the World Series ends, so that has to wait a month. In the meantime, staffing decisions can and should be made. It should start in the pitching department. The Rockies’ front office should be doing much more than watching the postseason unfold.
The first move? It’s more clear than ever that novice Alon Leichman was a bad choice for the major league pitching coach. The others listed as being part of the pitching development group, including assistant Gabe Ribas (who had some moderate success as a relief pitcher in Class A ball) and pitching coordinator Matt Daniels have little or no professional playing experience. Bullpen coach Matt Buschman is the only person currently in the organization with any MLB time, and he had all of three games as a big-league relief pitcher.
That’s not enough of a résumé.
They’re all well versed in analytics, but these guys still remain in over their head. That’s a thought shared by many in the Colorado locker room, including Rockies pitchers and coaches who watched the experiment fail to produce positive results during the season.
Changes in staffing can and should be made in September. Analytics should remain a significant part of pitching development, but that needs to be augmented by actual “been there, done that” playing experience. (They do have Jason Hirsh’s phone number…)
One observer put it this way: “The Rockies’ pitching people have a lot of knowledge, but not a lot of wisdom.”
That needs to change.
Also during his TV appearance, DePodesta hinted that next year’s Rockies may consider a return to a “piggybacking” system with their starting pitchers. Back in 2013, Colorado implemented a plan that included a four-man starting rotation, with pitchers limited to 75 pitches each. Those four guys were followed by four other guys who would come in on a schedule to take up another three to four innings – while also on a pitch limit. Ryan Feltner and Tanner Gordon were mentioned as a couple of young pitchers who could flourish in that sort of set up.
“We need to find the best way to get 27 outs every night,” DePodesta said.
Piggybacking next season – most especially at the start of the season, whenever that is – would be a fantastic idea.
Given the challenges they’ve faced on the pitching side – and the progress they’ve made on the offensive side – the new Rockies front office is now armed with enough information to end phase one of the experiment and work to turn another corner in 2027.
