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Zac Veen Zac Veen Gets sober, adds muscle
Fri, Feb 13, 2026, 11:12 AM
Veen revealed this week that he got sober over the offseason and now weighs 245 pounds after finishing last season at 202 pounds, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Veen said that he had "a pretty big substance abuse problem for a few years," but he's been able to "cut that out of my lifestyle and replace (it) with protein" to remake his body. According to Johnny Goodrich, Veen's high school coach who he remains in touch with, the outfielder's speed and exit velocities have improved with the added muscle. Veen went just 4-for-34 at the plate during his brief time with the Rockies last season and is likely ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign, but the 24-year-old could eventually force his way into the mix. |
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Jeff Criswell Jeff Criswell Returns to 60-day IL
Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 4:11 PM
The Rockies placed Criswell (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Analysis: Criswell sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, and he'll now officially remain sidelined for the first few months of the 2026 season while he finishes up his rehab. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Jose Quintana, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockies on Tuesday. |
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Ryan Ritter Ryan Ritter Set to compete at second base
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 7:35 PM
Ritter will have the chance to compete for the starting role at second base during spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Ritter made his big-league debut in 2025 and split his playing time almost exactly evenly between second base and shortstop. Ezequiel Tovar will likely play nearly every day at the latter position, while Edouard Julien and Willi Castro are both offseason additions that will factor in at the keystone. That seemingly leaves a narrow path for Ritter to make the Opening Day roster, though a strong spring could change his outlook. |
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Jake McCarthy Jake McCarthy Competing for starting role
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 6:53 PM
McCarthy is expected to compete with Mickey Moniak to start in right field to begin the 2026 season, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports.
Analysis: The Rockies acquired McCarthy this offseason, but the Rockies have a versatile roster, so he could face significant competition for the starting role in right field. Moniak may be the primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching, but Willi Castro, Troy Johnston and Tyler Freeman also figure to factor in at a corner outfield spot. Most importantly, McCarthy will need to bounce back as a hitter after posting only a .592 OPS across 222 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2025. |
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Jose Quintana Jose Quintana Signs with Rockies
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 10:54 PM
Quintana signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Rockies on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Quintana made 24 regular-season starts for the Brewers in 2025, finishing with a 3.96 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 131.2 innings. The 37-year-old veteran isn't someone who typically collects a large amount of strikeouts, so his ability to keep the ball in the yard will be crucial to his success -- a task that will only be made more challenging by making his home starts at Coors Field. |
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Kris Bryant Kris Bryant Goes on 60-day injured list
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 12:24 PM
The Rockies placed Bryant (back) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Analysis: The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Tomoyuki Sugano, who inked a one-year contract with Colorado. Bryant is still not 100 percent as he deals with a lumbar degenerative disc disease, and there is no timetable for his return. The 33-year-old has played in 170 games over his four seasons with the Rockies since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract in March of 2022. |
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Tomoyuki Sugano Tomoyuki Sugano Lands MLB deal from Rockies
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 11:35 AM
The Rockies signed Sugano to a one-year contract Tuesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Sugano posted a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 106:36 K:BB over 157 innings covering 30 starts for the Orioles in 2025 in his first year in the majors. He had just a 15.7 percent strikeout rate and served up 33 home runs, which is a bad combination for a pitcher who will now have to tame Coors Field in his home starts. |
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Conner Capel Conner Capel Signs minors deal with Rockies
Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 1:06 PM
Capel signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Thursday.
Analysis: Capel spent all of 2025 with Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate, where he slashed .230/.311/.353 with 10 home runs, 39 RBI, 42 runs scored and 21 steals across 117 games. Signing with the Rockies will provide an easier path back to the majors, but the 28-year-old figures to remain a minor-league depth piece this season. |
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Kyle McCann Kyle McCann Nets NRI from Rockies
Tue, Feb 3, 2026, 12:16 PM
The Rockies signed McCann to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: McCann got into 54 games for the Athletics in 2024 before splitting the 2025 season between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mexican League. The 28-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign. |
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Valente Bellozo Valente Bellozo Goes to Rockies on minors deal
Mon, Feb 2, 2026, 4:23 PM
The Rockies signed Bellozo to a minor-league contract Monday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Analysis: Bellozo elected free agency back in November after being removed from the Marlins' 40-man roster. The right-hander held a 4.65 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 81.1 innings in 2025. Bellozo will likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Albuquerque as swingman depth. |
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Tyler Freeman Tyler Freeman Viewed more as outfielder
Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 1:28 PM
Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said recently of Freeman that "we still see him as an outfielder" who "complements Jake (McCarthy) and Mickey (Moniak)," Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: DePodesta also noted of Freeman that they "really value his versatility and think that he can play in multiple spots," but DePodesta's comments on the whole suggest that the Rockies don't view Freeman as a candidate to take on an everyday role in the infield. At minimum, it sounds like Freeman will be part of a short-side platoon in the outfield with McCarthy and/or Moniak, but his role against right-handed pitching could be less stable. Freeman slashed .281/.354/.361 with two home runs and 18 stolen bases for Colorado in 2025, drawing 60 starts in right field, 26 starts at designated hitter and 12 starts at second base. |
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Pierson Ohl Pierson Ohl Flipped to Rockies
Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 12:56 PM
The Rockies acquired Ohl and Edouard Julien from the Twins on Wednesday in exchange for Jace Kaminska and cash considerations.
Analysis: Ohl had been designated for assignment by the Twins and is now on the move to a new organization. The 26-year-old posted a 5.10 ERA and 27:7 K:BB over 30 innings with the Twins and held a 2.40 ERA and 86:11 K:BB across 71.1 frames in the minors in 2025. Ohl has rotation and bullpen experience but will most likely settle into a relief role in Colorado. |
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Edouard Julien Edouard Julien Shipped to Colorado
Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 12:49 PM
The Rockies acquired Julien and Pierson Ohl from the Twins on Wednesday in exchange for Jace Kaminska and cash considerations.
Analysis: Julien is out of minor-league options and has slashed only .208/.299/.324 with a 32 percent strikeout rate over the last two seasons. However, he also boasts a 13 percent walk rate and 11.8 percent barrel rate at the major-league level. The left-handed-hitting Julien has a good chance of seeing regular playing time versus right-handed pitching, whether that's at one position or bouncing around to multiple spots. |
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Yanquiel Fernandez Yanquiel Fernandez Designated for assignment
Wed, Jan 28, 2026, 11:47 AM
The Rockies designated Fernandez for assignment Wednesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Analysis: Fernandez struggled in his first stint in the majors in 2025, slashing .225/.265/.348 with four home runs and a 29.9 percent strikeout rate over 52 games. It's still a surprise the Rockies are exposing him to waivers, given that he just turned 23 earlier this month and was considered a top-100 prospect a couple years ago. There's a chance Fernandez -- who hit .284/.347/.502 with 13 long balls in 64 contests at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025 -- gets claimed by another team. |
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Patrick Weigel Patrick Weigel Inks minors deal with Rockies
Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 9:06 AM
The Rockies signed Weigel to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Weigel is coming off a terrific performance in the Dominican Winter League, having posted a 1.19 ERA and 34:5 K:BB over 30.1 innings. The 31-year-old has not pitched in the majors since 2021, having bounced around between the minors and independent ball since then. Weigel is likely ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 season. |
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Garrett Acton Garrett Acton Loses roster spot
Thu, Jan 22, 2026, 10:17 PM
Acton was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Thursday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
Analysis: The Rockies made their signing of Willi Castro official, meaning they needed to make room on their 40-man roster. Acton was on the wrong end of that roster shuffle, as he lost his roster spot only about three months after he was claimed by the team. He made one appearance in the majors in 2025. |
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Willi Castro Willi Castro Nets two-year deal from Rockies
Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 2:19 PM
Castro signed a two-year, $12.8 million contract with the Rockies on Thursday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Castro ended the 2025 campaign on a sour note, slashing just .170/.245/.240 over 110 plate appearances in the regular season after being traded from Minnesota to Chicago at the deadline. Playing 81 games at Coors Field figures to help the 28-year-old's chances of bouncing back at the plate, and his extreme defensive versatility, combined with the Rockies' weak roster, should keep him in the starting lineup nearly every day. |
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Bradley Blalock Bradley Blalock Designated for assignment
Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 10:30 AM
The Rockies designated Blalock for assignment Thursday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Analysis: The club needed to free up a spot on its 40-man roster for the addition of Michael Lorenzen, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Blalock has been dreadful in the big leagues to this point, posting an 8.16 ERA and 47:43 K:BB over 89.1 innings in parts of two seasons. Perhaps another team believes it can coax more out of him outside Colorado, but it's likely he will clear waivers. |
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Jake McCarthy Jake McCarthy Dealt to Rockies
Sat, Jan 10, 2026, 11:26 AM
The Diamondbacks traded McCarthy to the Rockies on Saturday in exchange for Josh Grosz.
Analysis: McCarthy appeared in just 67 games for the Diamondbacks during 2025 and finished the season with a career-low .592 OPS across 222 plate appearances. Moving to Coors Field should help the 28-year-old's chances of bouncing back offensively in 2026, and he'll likely have more opportunities to start in the outfield with the Rockies as well -- primarily against right-handed starters. |
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Jimmy Herget Jimmy Herget Settles with Rockies
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 4:03 PM
The Rockies and Herget avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday.
Analysis: The financial particulars of the deal aren't clear, but Herget will receive a salary bump after making $850,000 in 2025. The sidearmer held a 2.48 ERA and 81:26 K:BB over 83.1 innings for Colorado last season and the team has discussed the possibility of stretching him out to be a starting pitcher this spring. |
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