The Rockies are coming off a 119-loss season, which stands as one of the worst seasons in modern baseball history. The team\u2019s starting pitching was a key factor in that poor performance. In 2025, Rockies starters had a 6.65 ERA, a league-worst 7.4% K-BB rate, and allowed a league-worst 1.79 HR\/9. It is therefore unsurprising that Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta identified the rotation as \u201can era of focus\u201d for his newly-hired front office.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would like to add some stability to the rotation,\u201d said DePodesta in a phone interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post<\/a>. \u201cI think that\u2019s obvious \u2026 given our current situation.\u201d He went on to say that the team will consider trading from their bullpen and outfield depth to acquire starters, while also counting on improvement from existing starters. Referring to his coaching staff, DePodesta said, \u201cGiven the sheer manpower we have allocated to the pitching side, there\u2019s definitely room for improvement with the players we have.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments come across as generic boilerplate. As is well-known, Rockies pitchers have the challenge of playing half the season at high altitude. Dating back to 2021, the club\u2019s starters have posted a league-worst 5.60 ERA and 28.3 fWAR, including a mere 1.5 fWAR in 2025. Its top starters this year by innings pitched were Kyle Freeland<\/a>, Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez<\/a>, and Antonio Senzatela<\/a>. Freeland was once an above-average starter but\u00a0logged a 4.98 ERA in 162 2\/3 innings this year, including a 5.75 mark at home. Though he remains onboard as the nominal \u201cace,\u201d he will play 2026 at age 33 and is unlikely to recover his old form.<\/p>\n M\u00e1rquez had a nightmarish 6.70 ERA in 126 1\/3 innings in 2025, with a well-below-average strikeout rate of 14.0%. He is now a free agent and unlikely to be re-signed. Meanwhile, Senzatela\u2019s 11.8% strikeout rate was a career-low. He was demoted to the bullpen for the last month of the year and won\u2019t be guaranteed a rotation spot in 2026. Chase Dollander<\/a> and Tanner Gordon<\/a> were the only other Rockies starters to reach 60 innings this year, and they both had ERAs in the mid-6.00s and struggled with the long ball.<\/p>\n Given those struggles, it\u2019s hardly a surprise that DePodesta wants to make upgrades. Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done. Colorado is an unlikely destination for free agent starters who do not want to see their stats decline from pitching at Coors. Indeed, the only major-league free agent starting pitchers to sign with the Rockies since 2021 are Chad Kuhl<\/a>, Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a<\/a>, and Dakota Hudson<\/a>. All three signed for one year and were reclamation projects at best. Ure\u00f1a, whose $3.5MM contract in November 2022 was the highest value of the bunch, only made five starts for the Rockies in 2023 before being released that April.<\/p>\n The team faces a similar problem in attempting to add starting pitchers via trade. Potential partners can use the Rockies\u2019 home-field disadvantage and need for pitching to gain leverage in trade talks. Dating back to 2021, most of the Rockies\u2019 starting pitching acquisitions have been low-level trades and cash transactions. Arguably the highest-profile acquisition was that of Cal Quantrill<\/a> in November 2024. He threw 186 1\/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA for the Guardians in 2023 but struggled badly in 2024 and was recently designated for assignment when he came to Colorado. With a disadvantage in trade talks, the club is forced to lean heavily on internal options for starting pitching.<\/p>\n While teams obviously want to get all the value they can from their existing players, the current rotation led by Freeland doesn\u2019t inspire much confidence. For his part, DePodesta expressed confidence in his new pitching coaches, but also acknowledged that internal improvement is only part of the equation. A trade involving outfielders or relievers might be difficult to pull off. Center fielder Brenton Doyle<\/a> is unlikely<\/a> to be traded, while top relievers Jimmy Herget<\/a> and Juan Mejia<\/a> were good in 2025 but have minimal track records otherwise. The team could give young lefty Carson Palmquist<\/a> a bigger look, but he struggled badly with control and home runs in his debut this year. Meanwhile, the Rockies have two prospects among MLB.com\u2019s Top 100 list<\/a>, neither of whom are pitchers.<\/p>\n What do you think is the best way for the Rockies to improve their starting pitching? Let us know in the poll below:<\/p>\n