The Colorado Rockies have to make changes if they want to dig themselves out of the basement of Major League Baseball.
In 2026, one bit of excitement surrounding the team was the announcement of a new ownership partner, even it was a minority partner. Penner Sports Group, the owner of the Denver Broncos, made a substantial investment in the Rockies.
What should come with that is some financial flexibility. The front office has also been revamped, and what seems quite obvious is that there are plenty of holes to be filled in the roster before the 2027 season.
Apparently, all those factors aren’t enough to convince anyone that they will make a major splash in free agency.
Sports Illustrated recently published its ranking of the top 40 MLB free agents with projections from Nicholas Selbe and Will Laws. That’s 40 free agents and a total of 80 predictions.
Not a single prediction included the Colorado Rockies.
Not one signing.
The organization is coming off its fourth consecutive 100+ loss season. For 2026, the final numbers were 58-104. Truthfully, it didn’t surprise anyone. Now, though, with president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta having a full year under his belt and more financial flexibility, surely the situation will change.
So, the real question is why isn’t anyone expecting the Rockies to make a significant move?
Rockies Have More Financial Flexibility 
Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman talks with pitcher Jose Quintana Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In 2026, Colorado had a payroll of approximately $121.6 million, which ranked number 21 in MLB, according to Spotrac. Coming into 2027, you have to account for some veteran contracts coming off the books, including Kyle Freeland, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano.
Those three contracts will allow about $27.1 million, again according to Spotrac.
During an October postseason media session DePodesta was specifically asked if the Rockies could significantly increase spending.
“We have the means,” was his response.
In that same media session, club president Walker Monfort also talked about how the investment from the Penner Sports Group helped eliminate debt that was taken on during the pandemic and the collapse of the regional sports television model.
Those things point to the front office saying that they are in a better financial position than they were previously.
Here’s what they didn’t say. No one said they would be committing more money to major league players.
Rockies Missing From Free Agent Predictions
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
So, while we have established that the team likely has more money, or at least is in a better position, the story goes deeper than that.
It’s no secret that the Rockies are not a successful ballclub. Free agents are very clear on that as well. Convincing a high-value free-agent target to join a team that is still very much in the basement of a rebuild- well, that’s just not easy.
Coors Field is a story in itself. Pitchers struggle at the Mile High altitude. It is one of baseball’s most difficult environments. Successful pitchers aren’t necessarily waiting in line to come give it a try in one of the challenging situations and risk their performance.
So, even though the biggest need in Colorado is pitching and there are several very successful pitchers, including Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Freddy Peralta, and Trevor Rogers, convincing them to come would be quite a challenge. On top of that, the contract required would be a significant commitment.
Still, this doesn’t necessarily explain why the Rockies couldn’t emerge as a serious contender for at least one free agent in the top 40.
Rockies Need to Show Changes Matter
Colorado Rockies players Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No one expects the Rockies to hand out a $400 million contract. But, they do need to show some progress.
Going back to the pitching need; it is critical. The team finished the 2026 campaign with a 5.59 ERA, and the starting rotation was worse at a 6.28 ERA. Yes, they hired a new pitching coach, and that could make a difference, but it is not going to fix the problem entirely.
Yes, the team is investing in scouting, player development, and other areas of baseball operations, and all of that is important. But, improvements in the major league roster matter to outsiders looking in and free agents contemplating making Denver home.
A carefully selected free-agent pitcher on a multi-year deal could help stabilize the rotation, or at least make progress. This could allow the younger pitchers more time to develop.
Clearly, there are no guarantees about anything with this team. What is clear though with the latest predictions is that there is little confidence that the Rockies will actually compete for any prominent free agents.
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