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DENVER – Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta sees his roster as having enough depth to make moves if free agency and the trade market become active after this week’s General Managers Meeting in Las Vegas.
“We’ll see. There are some other people who are also willing to move relatively quickly, but I guess we won’t know until we’re there, right?” DePodesta said. “There’s certainly a chance for some movement here in the next couple of weeks.”
DePodesta said the Rockies will prioritize improving their starting pitching through multiple avenues — trades, scouting designated free agents and under-the-radar acquisitions.
An improved roster since DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes took over a year ago could help in their pursuit of a player, though the Rockies had the worst record in the Majors for the second straight year and surpassed 100 losses for the fourth straight year.
Two areas on the Rockies’ roster — the outfield and second base — have depth that could provide several routes for Colorado to further improve.
“Obviously, we have some real edge depth,” DePodesta said. “We’ve got seven or eight guys that we consider legitimate Major League outfielders — like, 27 at the start of the season, not anytime, not for a couple of years. They’re ready to go now.
“Assuming all these guys are healthy, we don’t have room for all of them on the Opening Day roster, and I think other teams definitely see that. That’s been part of some of the conversation. But we’re also very happy to have that depth right now. We like every one of them.”
Second base
The Rockies were expected to piece together playing time at second base over the course of the season, but they ran into some interesting pieces heading into September.
Sharp veteran Willy Castro: At the start of a two-year, $12.8 million deal, Castro slashed .260/.331/.417 with a career-best 15 home runs in 120 games before being shut down in September with left knee and right foot injuries.
“People don’t fully understand how valuable Castro is to our team — we can’t express how important he is,” DePodesta said. “Going into the offseason and into Spring Training, it gave us a chance to create a lot of opportunities, bring in different players and have them compete in Spring Training to prepare our team.
“Then we go into the season and you know if something happens with our club, we’ll be able to work with Willie. He’s had a really good year on the surface. He’s been just as valuable to the team as a whole, if not more.”
Connor Norby trade: A right-handed hitter, Norby’s .302/.387/.457 slash line surpassed his performances with the Orioles (2024), who selected him in the second round of the 21st Draft, and the Marlins (2024-26), who acquired him in exchange for Trevor Rogers at the end of ’24.
“It’s hard to get players traded, especially young players, but he’s been through it once,” DePodesta said. “It was his second time and he had a very different approach to it this time: ‘I’m just going to be myself and not try to do too much or try to be something I’m not.’
Former top prospect Adael Amador: Forced into Major League action before he was ready in ’24 and ’25, Amador successfully filled the developmental gaps by spending most of ’26 in Triple-A. His .277/.362/.482 performance in 27 games in ’26 represented an offensive reset that was only part of the story.
“He’s really pitched well for us at the big league level — certainly better than what everybody’s been saying about previous years,” DePodesta said. “In Triple-A, he also played third base and left field, and was very early in those practices.”
Swing left No. 12 promising Roc Riggio: Acquired from the Yankees by former GM Bill Schmidt at the 2025 Trade Deadline, Riggio hit 22 combined homers between Double-A and Triple-A. His .369 on-base percentage was his highest in a full season as a pro.
“It’s patience and strength,” DePodesta said. “He knows when to be aggressive and he’s not fooled when he’s aggressive. He wants to do damage when he swings the bat.”
An intriguing second base free agent class includes Gleyber Torres, Jeff McNeil, Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jonathan India. The Rockies could deal and spend one of their second base depth options, or see if the players at home can reach new levels.