Exploring the Rockies’ rotation-building options for 2026

Starting pitching is generally an issue for the Colorado Rockies, but their woes were especially apparently in 2025. The Rockies’ rotation set a modern-era record for worst ERA at 6.65 through a league second-fewest 776.1 innings of work.

The Rockies’ 2026 rotation is set to look very different.

Austin Gomber and Germán Márquez have both departed while Antonio Senzatela is expected to remain in the bullpen. The only players essentially guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation are Kyle Freeland and, presumably, Ryan Feltner. Freeland will be entering his age 33 season after posting a 4.98 ERA over 31 starts while Feltner will look to remain healthy after back and shoulder issues kept him sidelined for all but six major league and seven minor league starts.

New president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and his manager Warren Schaffer—along with a yet-to-be-hired general manager, pitching coaches, and pitching coordinators—have a lot ahead of them when it comes to sorting out the Rockies’ starting pitching woes.

In a recent media availability, Patrick Saunders asked DePodesta for a sense of the Rockies’ rotation plans.

DePodesta provided a fairly comprehensive answer.

“I think the short answer is that there isn’t one answer, right? I think our eyes need to be open for every possible avenue. I say that to mean it could be free agents, it could be different types of free agents. [It] certainly could be trades. And it also needs to be some of the development of our own players. We have a lot of pitchers on our 40-man roster. I know some guys got experience last year. We added another starter this year to the 40-man roster just last week, but there are other young players coming through. So I think it needs to be maybe a little of all the above, but clearly it’s an area of focus for us as we start the off season. But I don’t think there’s just going to be one avenue that we use to to attack it. I think you’ll probably see, or at least we’re going to pursue, the different avenues to get better.”

Just what are those avenues DePodesta and the Rockies can pursue?

The first option is relying on young players coming up through the organization.

The Rockies had multiple rookies make their debut in 2025, almost all of whom struggled. Top prospect Chase Dollander led the rookie contingency in starts with 21 but posted an unsightly 6.52 ERA on the season and an even worse 9.98 ERA at Coors Field. He also dealt with some injuries and was even optioned at one point to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Dollander is joined by fellow 2025 rookies Carson Palmquist, McCade Brown, and Tanner Gordon as rotation hopefuls. Palmquist was sharp starting the season in Triple-A but struggled with contact when promoted. He was eventually moved to the bullpen late in the season, but a move back to starting isn’t out of the question. Brown skipped Triple-A—going straight to the Rockies from Double-A Hartford—and there was a lot to like in his limited action. However, he also struggled with hard contact. Brown gave up six home runs in seven starts and posted a 7.36 ERA over 25 2/3 innings.

Tanner Gordon has as good a chance as any to make the rotation in 2026 after flashing potential last season. While he definitely had some bad starts, he also had a run in which he went at least five innings and gave up three or fewer earned runs in six of his final eight starts of the campaign.

On the developmental side of things, the Rockies have plenty of fascinating pitching prospects like Brody Brecht (no. 5 PuRP) and Griffin Herring (no. 15 PuRP). However, very few are close to big league ready.

Gabriel Hughes (no. 11 PuRP) had a strong season in Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Now fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery, Hughes pitched 105 1/3 innings with a 4.19 ERA across the two levels. However, his primary focus was on pitch usage and development. Hughes was added to the 40-man roster recently to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Behind Hughes as the next man up is likely soft-tossing lefty Sean Sullivan. The no. 9 PuRP spent his season with Double-A Hartford and posted a 3.14 ERA over 18 starts.

Outside of the developmental path, the Rockies can also explore more traditional team-building avenues.

DePodesta has already shown a willingness to trade from positions of depth—such as the outfield—to obtain pitching by trading minor league outfielder Braiden Ward for left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino earlier this offseason. There are also a plethora of free agent starting pitchers hitting the market. However, the best of that group seem unlikely to sign with a rebuilding Colorado unless DePodesta and his GM break the bank to lure them here.

The Rockies will also have to opportunity to select a near-big-league-ready prospect from another team via the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

There is one more option the Rockies could look into when it comes to team building: They could look eastward.

The Rockies have rarely—if ever—dedicated resources to scouting and signing out of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, choosing instead to focus on Latin American player development. With a new front office in the building, this has a chance to change, and this year is a good year for it.

Nippon Professional Baseball’s Saitama Seibu Lions have posted their two aces to be signed by MLB clubs. 29-year-old Kona Takahashi has a career 3.39 ERA over 11 seasons in Japan and earned a 3.04 ERA in 24 starts this past season. With a mid-90s fastball and an excellent slider, he could immediately slot in as a mid-to-top of rotation piece.

Posted along with Takahashi is Tatsuya Imai. The 27-year-old righty is coming off of a truly excellent campaign with Saitama Seibu in which he posted a 1.92 ERA over 24 starts.

It’s also worth mentioning that Imai has said he doesn’t necessarily want to go to a team with other Japanese players and is unlikely to be signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, he has stated he wants to take down the Japanese superstars of the Dodgers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki.

There are precious few days—only 114—until Opening Day 2026, and the Rockies have many questions to answer when it comes to their rotation. If the Rockies and Paul DePodesta are serious about this rebuild, they will do something this organization historically has not: truly explore every avenue when it comes to rotation building.

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