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David Dahl Announces Retirement

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Outfielder David Dahl announced his retirement on his X feed earlier this week, opting to end his playing career at age 31.  As Dahl wrote in his farewell post, “Baseball has been my life for as long as I can remember.  From being a kid in Alabama chasing a lifelong dream to stepping foot on a big-league field…after 13 seasons and several months to reflect on it, it’s officially time for the next chapter.  Thank you, baseball.”

Dahl appeared in parts of seven Major League seasons from 2016-24, playing in 350 games and hitting .268/.313/.460 with 46 home runs over 1311 career plate appearances.  The majority of Dahl’s pro career was spent in the Rockies organization, beginning when Colorado selected the outfielder with the 10th overall pick of the 2012 draft.

A regular on top-100 prospect rankings during his minor league career, Dahl’s progress hit an unexpected roadblock when he suffered a lacerated spleen after colliding with a teammate during a 2015 Double-A game.  Dahl opted to have his spleen removed entirely in order to get back onto the field before season’s end, as waiting for the spleen to heal would’ve likely cost him the entirety of the season.  This unusual situation in some ways defined Dahl’s career, highlighting his grit in trying to play through what ended up being a long list of injuries that set back his career.

Dahl had an impressive MLB debut in 2016, hitting .315/.359/.500 over his first 237 PA in the Show.  A stress fracture in his rib and then back spasms limited him to just 19 minor league games and no big league action in 2017, but Dahl was able to recover and appear in 177 games for Colorado over the 2018-19 seasons.  The outfielder batted .291/.342/.528 with 31 homers in 684 PA over this two-year stretch, helping the Rockies reach the postseason in 2018 and earning an All-Star nod for himself in 2019.

Even during those two seasons, however, Dahl missed a good deal of time recovering from a right foot fracture and then a right high ankle sprain.  2019 ended up being the high point of Dahl’s production, as after Opening Day 2020, he hit only .200/.237/.318 over the final 390 PA of his big league career.  Shoulder problems in 2020 led to a surgery after the season, and the Rockies chose to non-tender Dahl.  He bounced around to six different teams over the next four seasons, and saw some more MLB time with the Rangers, Padres, and Phillies.

After not playing at all in 2025, Dahl has now decided to hang up the cleats.  We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Dahl on a fine career and wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.

Rockies Hire Brett Pill As Hitting Coach

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The Rockies announced the hiring of former MLB first baseman Brett Pill as their hitting coach. The 41-year-old joins Warren Schaeffer’s staff after six seasons with the Dodgers. Pill had spent three years as a Double-A hitting coach in the L.A. system before getting a promotion to minor league hitting coordinator in 2023.

Pill is best known for his three-year stint playing in MLB for the Giants. He appeared in 111 games between 2011-13. Pill spent parts of four seasons in Triple-A and finished his playing career with a three-year stint for the Kia Tigers between 2014-16. He remained in Korea for three years after that, working for his former KBO team as a scout before taking the Dodgers job.

This is Pill’s first major league coaching role. He’ll hopefully provide some stability in a position that was in flux in 2025. Colorado opened the season with Hensley Meulens as hitting coach. He was fired a couple weeks into the year. Clint Hurdle stepped in from the front office to take over, but he moved to bench coach once Bud Black and Mike Redmond were fired in May. Jordan Pacheco and Nic Wilson divided the hitting coach responsibilities for the rest of the season.

There should be nowhere to go but up after a 43-119 season. Colorado was by far the worst offensive team in MLB. They were ahead of only the Pirates in scoring despite playing half their games at Coors Field. They had an MLB-worst .293 on-base percentage thanks to the league’s lowest walk rate (6.7%). Only the Angels struck out more often. Colorado hitters have their work cut out for them in road games because of the difference in pitch movements at altitude. Even with that caveat, their .203/.259/.330 team batting line outside of Denver was abysmal.

It’s obviously not going to be fixed in one offseason. They’re not going to have a good lineup in 2026, but they can hope for process improvements from the likes of Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck and (if he’s not traded) Brenton Doyle. They’ll hope for a repeat performance from 26-year-old catcher Hunter Goodman, one of the few bright spots from the ’25 team. Goodman popped 31 homers with a .278/.323/.520 batting line, tying Shea Langeliers for second among catchers in home runs.

Rockies Notes: New Assistant GM, Herget’s Role

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The Rockies announced the hiring of Tommy Tanous as assistant general manager today. Tanous has spent the past 15 years in the Mets’ scouting department. He will focus on scouting and player development with Colorado. Thomas Harding of MLB.com was first to report the hiring.

“Tommy brings a wealth of knowledge in coaching, amateur scouting, pro scouting, international, and special assignment work from his time in baseball, and I’m looking forward to using his experience and rare ability to connect with people to help build organizational consistency across all levels of our operation,” said president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta in a press release.

Tanous was most recently vice president of player evaluation and special advisor to the president of baseball operations in New York. He’d been with the club since 2010. Tanous’ tenure with the Mets crossed over with DePodesta’s time in the organization. DePodesta took over as vice president of player development and scouting for the Mets in 2010, around the same time Tanous was hired. The pair spent six seasons on the same staff until DePodesta left for the NFL.

Colorado continues to build out its front office since hiring DePodesta in early November. Tanous joins Josh Byrnes as a new executive coming over from a big-market organization. Byrnes had been senior vice president of baseball operations with the Dodgers.

On the player front, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported a role change for a veteran pitcher. Reliever Jimmy Herget is expected to prepare as a starter heading into next season. The 32-year-old was excellent out of the bullpen last year, posting a 2.48 ERA across 59 games. Herget racked up a career-high 83 1/3 innings in his first season with the Rockies. As Rosenthal and Sammon point out, Herget pitched more than an inning in 31 appearances.

Herget was drafted by the Reds and debuted with the team in 2019. He bounced around from there, pitching for the Rangers, Angels, and Braves over the next five seasons. Herget was claimed off waivers by the Cubs near the end of the 2024 season after eight games with Atlanta. He was designated for assignment shortly after and scooped up by the Rockies.

Despite the nomadic career, Herget has delivered solid results as a big leaguer. He has a 3.17 ERA over 238 1/3 innings. Herget’s 3.51 xERA and 3.69 SIERA are a bit higher than his actual ERA, but still suggest he’s a solid bullpen arm.

Herget throws from a true sidearm slot, with his arm angle being nearly perpendicular to his body. He ranks in the first percentile in extension. Herget typically relies on two breaking balls and a low-90s sinker. He led with the curveball last season, followed by the slider and sinker, to go with the occasional four-seamer and changeup. The unique look likely drives some of Herget’s success, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares facing hitters multiple times. He’s made just three starts in his career.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

2025 Rule 5 Draft Results

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The 2025 Rule 5 draft is taking place this afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. This post will be updated with the results as they come in.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and went professional in 2021, and any players who turned pro at 19 years of age or older in 2022, are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not on a 40-man roster.

Though the amateur (Rule 4) draft now has a lottery to determine the selection order, the Rule 5 draft still goes the old-fashioned way of reverse order of standings from the season that just ended. Clubs need to have an open 40-man roster spot in order to make a pick but aren’t obligated to make a selection on their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2026 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors.

Players like Anthony Santander and Ryan Pressly have been notable picks in other recent years while guys like George Bell and Roberto Clemente are found deeper in the history books. Last year, 15 players were selected. Only four of those remain with the club who selected them and only three of those have had their rights fully transferred to their new club. The White Sox took Shane Smith from the Brewers. The Marlins took Liam Hicks from the Tigers. Mike Vasil was taken by the Phillies from the Mets but was later traded to the Rays and then went to the White Sox via waivers.

The one other pick from last year’s draft which is still live is Angel Bastardo, who the Blue Jays took from the Red Sox. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He is still on Toronto’s 40-man but they don’t yet have his full rights, as a player needs at least 90 active days to remove the Rule 5 restrictions. If the Jays are willing to roster him for about three months during the 2026 season, they could then gain his full rights and option him to the minors. All other picks were eventually returned to their original organization and/or became free agents.

This year’s picks will be featured below as they come in…

  1. Rockies: RHP RJ Petit (from the Tigers) (Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs was on this before the official announcement)
  2. White Sox: RHP Jedixson Paez (Red Sox)
  3. Nationals: RHP Griff McGarry (Phillies)
  4. Twins: C Daniel Susac (Athletics) (Susac was then traded to the Giants, per Longenhagen. The Twins will get minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo in return, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune)
  5. Pirates: RHP Carter Baumler (Orioles) (The Pirates then traded Baumler to the Rangers for RHP Jaiker Garcia. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News previously suggested Texas would likely get Baumler)
  6. Angels: pass
  7. Orioles: pass
  8. Athletics: RHP Ryan Watson (Giants) (Will be traded to Red Sox, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The A’s will get Justin Riemer in return, per Cotillo.)
  9. Braves: pass
  10. Rays: pass
  11. Cardinals: RHP Matt Pushard (Marlins)
  12. Marlins: pass
  13. Diamondbacks: pass
  14. Rangers: pass
  15. Giants: pass
  16. Royals: pass
  17. Reds: pass
  18. Mets: pass
  19. Tigers: pass
  20. Astros: RHP Roddery Muñoz (Reds)
  21. Guardians: RHP Peyton Pallette (White Sox)
  22. Red Sox: pass
  23. Mariners: pass
  24. Padres: pass
  25. Cubs: pass
  26. Dodgers: pass
  27. Blue Jays: RHP Spencer Miles (Giants)
  28. Yankees: RHP Cade Winquest (Cardinals)
  29. Phillies: RHP Zach McCambley (Marlins)
  30. Brewers: pass

Second round (all others passed)

Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images

Mets, Padres, Phillies, Yankees Among Teams Interested In Brenton Doyle

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Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle is garnering “widespread trade interest,” according to Ari Alexander of 7News Boston.  The Padres, Phillies, Yankees, and Mets are just some of the “many” teams who have checked in with the Rox about the two-time Gold Glover.

Doyle won the NL center field Gold Glove in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and he won a Fielding Bible Award as well in 2024.  However, his stellar defense took a step backwards in 2025, as per such public defensive metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.  After recording 14 OAA each in both 2023 and 2024, Doyle had “only” six OAA in 2025, though naturally this is still very strong.  The DRS dropoff was more severe, as Doyle went from +29 DRS over the 2023-24 seasons to an even 0 total last year.

The focus on Doyle’s defense is necessary since he has yet to show that he contribute as a big league hitter.  He had only a 44 wRC+ over 431 plate appearances in his 2023 rookie season, but boosted that wRC+ up to 97 in 2024 by hitting .260/.317/.446 with 23 home runs and 30 stolen bases over 603 plate appearances.  This improved offense and Doyle’s superb defense combined for a 3.6 fWAR season, making him an immensely valuable player if he could generate anything close to league-average production at the plate.

Unfortunately, Doyle badly regressed to a 65 wRC+ in 2025, hitting only .233/.274/.376 over 538 PA.  Between this lack of offense and his diminished defense, Doyle barely topped replacement-level production in posting 0.4 fWAR.  It is very possible and understandable that Doyle’s mind was on matters far more important than baseball last year, as the outfielder and wife lost their unborn child in April, 12 weeks into the pregnancy.

Doyle’s 2025 numbers apparently haven’t had much impact on his trade value, which isn’t that surprising for a few reasons.  The 27-year-old is a Super Two player who is controlled through the 2029 season, and Doyle is projected for a $3.2MM salary in his first trip through the arbitration process this winter.  At worst, Doyle is still an excellent defender and a strong baserunner, with 70 steals in 82 attempts during his big league career.  Though Doyle strikes out a lot and doesn’t walk much, he makes a lot of solid contact and has some pop in his bat, and could break out in a more normalized offensive environment than Coors Field.

This potential for offensive improvement could appeal to the Mets, who already have a glove-first player in Tyrone Taylor as their top option in center field.  The Phillies plan to give top prospect Justin Crawford a look in their big league outfield this year, though since it isn’t known if Crawford will be a center fielder over the long term, installing Doyle would allow Crawford to take on a less pressurized role in the corner outfield.

The Yankees and Padres have more crowded outfield pictures.  With Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer, New York’s starting outfield is ostensibly set between Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Jasson Dominguez, plus the club is still interested in re-signing Cody Bellinger.  Doyle might be viewed as a fallback plan if Bellinger signs elsewhere, and Doyle’s presence would both provide some guard if Dominguez still isn’t fully ready for the Show, or if Grisham’s sharp defensive decline from 2025 carries over into next year.  Doyle is a right-handed hitter, so he could split time with the lefty-swinging Grisham in center field.

San Diego has Jackson Merrill in center field, flanked in the corners by Fernando Tatis Jr. and (after his club option was exercised) Ramon Laureano.  Merrill is coming off an injury-marred 2025 season but he was still productive at the plate, and though defensive metrics are split on his work in center field, he has done an overall solid job considering that he learned center field on the fly prior to making his MLB debut in 2024.  Tatis and Merrill are locked up over the long term, so Doyle could be a fourth outfielder in 2026, and the Padres could re-evaluate the situation once Laureano’s contract is up next winter.  The fact that the Padres and Rockies are division rivals might complicate any trade, however.

In regards to the Rox, it remains to be seen if the team will even trade Doyle at all, since they’d be selling low on a player who might well be in line for a rebound year.  Trade interest in Doyle has stretched back to at least last summer’s trade deadline, and there is a sense that Colorado might move an outfielder since the outfield is one of the few relative positions of depth on the roster.  New president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta is open to basically anything as he tries to turn around a 119-loss team, so if another team makes a big enough offer for Doyle, DePodesta could very well consider swinging a trade now in order bring some much-needed young talent into the organization.

Rockies Add Gabe Ribas, Matt Buschmann To Coaching Staff

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The Rockies finalized their previously reported hiring of Alon Leichman as pitching coach. They’ve also announced the hiring of Gabe Ribas as an assistant pitching coach and Matt Buschmann as bullpen coach.

Ribas gets his first job on an MLB staff. The 45-year-old has spent the last five seasons with the Tigers as their director of pitching. Ribas had previously worked in the Dodgers farm system and at a handful of college programs. He’d also had a brief professional playing career, topping out at the Double-A level in the San Diego system in 2004.

Buschmann, 41, reached the highest level as a player — albeit very briefly. He made three appearances for the 2016 Diamondbacks. The remainder of his 11-year playing career came in the minors. Buschmann has some experience as a big league bullpen coach. He held that role with the Blue Jays between 2019-22. He has spent the past two seasons with the Cubs as an advisor in their player development department.

Former big league catcher Dustin Garneau served as Colorado’s bullpen coach in 2025. The Rox had a 5.18 earned run average out of their relievers, beating only Washington’s 5.59 figure. Rox relievers were last in strikeout rate (19.7%) despite landing in the middle of the pack in whiffs. Garneau departed to become Atlanta’s catching coach after the season. Buschmann will get to work with a few big arms (e.g. Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia) at the back of the Colorado bullpen.

Braves, Pirates, Rockies Interested In Willi Castro

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Willi Castro entered free agency on a down note, as he hit only .170/.245/.240 over 110 plate appearances with the Cubs after Chicago acquired the utilityman from Minnesota at the trade deadline.  Despite the sour finish, Castro is still drawing attention from multiple teams, as ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reports that the Braves, Pirates, and Rockies are among the interested suitors.

Castro landed the final spot on MLBTR’s ranking of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, with a prediction of a two-year, $14MM contract as Castro enters his age-29 season.  The multi-year pact reflects Castro’s extreme versatility as a player who has lined up at every position but catcher over his seven Major League seasons.  While Castro is an average defender at best, his ability to at least capably handle multiple spots around the diamond makes him a bit of a Swiss Army knife type and a very useful guy to have on a bench.

As evidenced by his time with the Twins, Castro was also capable of taking on a more regular role in the event of injuries to a starting player.  Castro hit .250/.335/.398 with 31 homers and 56 steals (out of 73 attempts) over 1388 plate appearances in a Twins uniform, and he has virtually even career splits as a switch-hitter.

Atlanta’s starting lineup is more or less set, apart from the question mark that is the shortstop position.  The Braves already picked up one utility player when Mauricio Dubon was acquired from the Astros, so Dubon and Castro could each get action at shortstop, or both could be mixed and matched all over the diamond as circumstances warrant.  President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said his team prefers to rotate several players through the open DH spot, so Castro or Dubon could be utilized in the field whenever another regular is getting a DH day.  There has been speculation that Ozzie Albies could be a trade chip this winter, so it is possible more playing time might open up at the Braves’ second base position.

The Pirates’ position-player mix is a lot less settled, so Castro could conceivably be used all over the infield in timeshares with any of Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, or Jared Triolo.  If Castro can get his bat back to the slightly above-average level of production he showed in Minnesota, that will count as an upgrade for a Bucs team in sore need of offensive help.  Because Castro can be moved all over the diamond, his acquisition also wouldn’t prevent Pittsburgh from seeking out further bats at basically any position.  At something in the neighborhood of $14MM, Castro is also inexpensive enough that even a budget-conscious team like the Pirates could afford a signing.

Colorado basically needs help everywhere coming off a 119-loss disaster of a season.  Ezequiel Tovar is the starting shortstop but Castro could be viewed as an everyday option at any of the other three infield positions, with second or third base probably more likely than regular duty at first base.  Installing Castro into the outfield mix could also make the Rockies more open to dealing from their current crop of outfielders.

Even if Castro is signed to a multi-year contract, the Rockies might look to flip him to a contender at the trade deadline in order to pick up a couple of prospects, as Minnesota did last summer.  The same deadline flip tactic could conceivably be employed by the Braves or Pirates as well, though these two teams have much higher hopes of contending in 2026 than the Rockies.

Rockies To Hire Alon Leichman As Pitching Coach

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The Rockies are going to hire Alon Leichman as their pitching coach, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Leichman spent 2025 with the Marlins as an assistant pitching coach. Per Isaac Azout of Fish on First, the Marlins will look to replace him.

Leichman, 36, was born in Israel and has represented that country in international play. He came to America to attend Cypress College in California in 2010. While pitching for that school’s team, he required Tommy John surgery. After recovering, he played for UC San Diego.

After his college playing days were over, he quickly pivoted to coaching in college ball. He then got jobs in the affiliated ranks, working with minor leaguers in the systems of the Dodgers and Mariners. He got a major league gig with the Reds as assistant pitching coach, holding that title in 2023 and 2024 before getting the same title with the Marlins a year ago.

The Rockies are trying to play catch-up at the moment. They clearly fell behind the rest of the league in terms of data and analytics. The big league club has been getting worse, bottoming out with a 119-loss season in 2025.

Big changes are now afoot. Manager Bud Black was fired during the 2025 campaign and was replaced by Warren Schaeffer. The Rockies parted ways with general manager Bill Schmidt at the end of the season and then pitching coach Darryl Scott not long after that. Paul DePodesta was hired as president of baseball operations and he later hired Josh Byrnes to serve under him as general manager.

Leichman’s quick rise clearly demonstrates that he is respected in the industry. Harding notes that he is fluent in Spanish and that the Marlins experimented by having him call pitches from the dugout this year. Coors Field is the most challenging environment big league pitchers face and that has been a big problem for the Rockies. The staff had a collective 5.99 earned run average this year, easily the worst in the league. The club thinks Leichman can help turn things around and perhaps he can, but given the starting point, it will probably take time.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Rockies Could Add Short-Term Help At First Base, Listen On Outfielders

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The Rockies are starting from scratch, and new baseball ops leaders Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes have a long list of issues to address. It’ll be a yearslong process, but in the short term, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes that it’s “likely” the team will bring in some short-term help at first base or second base. Saunders adds, as has been previously suggested, that the Rockies could listen on their young outfielders as they look to bring in controllable starting pitching. Center fielder Brenton Doyle was Colorado’s most sought-after player at this summer’s deadline, Saunders adds.

Both first base and second base are clear areas of need in Denver (as is third base, for what it’s worth). Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is a solid everyday option who’s affordably signed through at least 2030 (with a club option for 2031). The rest of the infield is up in the air. Last year’s leader in reps at first base, Michael Toglia, was already non-tendered after a poor season. Second basemen Kyle Farmer and Thairo Estrada both struggled and became free agents. Prospect Adael Amador hit well in Triple-A but struggled immensely in 41 big league games. It’s a similar story with 23-year-old Kyle Karros at the hot corner.

The top end of the Rockies’ system does include recent high draft picks like Ethan Holliday and Charlie Condon, who could be options at the infield corners in the long run. Neither Amador nor Karros is as highly regarded, but both (Amador in particular) have drawn favorable scouting reports and placed well within public rankings of the Rockies’ minor leaguers. Both have hit well in the upper minors, and it’s easy to imagine both getting a further look in 2026.

With first base standing as a particular area of need (and one that lacks an in-house solution), the free-agent market possesses plenty of lower-cost names. Veterans like Nathaniel Lowe, Rhys Hoskins, Josh Bell and Paul Goldschmidt are all coming off relatively down seasons. More versatile options who could handle first as well as another infield spot include Wilmer Flores, Donovan Solano and perhaps Ty France. Someone like Jeimer Candelario could be had on a minor league pact, most likely.

With regard to the team’s outfielders, Doyle is the most obvious trade candidate. He’s entering his first season of arbitration eligibility and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a highly affordable $3.2MM in 2026 as a Super Two player. The Rockies control him for another four seasons, all the way through 2029.

Doyle, 28 in May, is coming off a down year at the plate (one in which his family went through an awful tragedy). Doyle still connected on 15 homers and swiped 18 bags in 20 attempts, though his rate stats dropped. His .233/.274/.376 slash came out to a dismal 65 wRC+ (35% worse than league-average, when weighting for home park), but he turned in a solid .260/.317/.446 slash with 23 round-trippers and 30 steals as recently as 2024. He’s also drawn superlative grades for his defensive acumen in center field dating back to his 2023 MLB debut.

It’s an extremely thin market for center fielders in free agency this winter. Cody Bellinger has really only played the position part-time in recent seasons and will cost well over $100MM in free agency, taking him off the table for some smaller-payroll clubs. Harrison Bader is coming off a career year at the plate and reported to be looking for a three-year deal that some teams might find steep, given his inconsistent track record at the plate. The trade market includes names like Luis Robert Jr., Jarren Duran and Alek Thomas; the Twins are reportedly planning to keep Byron Buxton (and starters Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez).

Few center fielders in the sport possess Doyle’s blend of speed, power and defensive acumen. An above-average strikeout rate and below-average walk rate might mean he’ll always have fairly low marks in batting average and on-base percentage, but he’s extremely toolsy and was worth about four wins above replacement in that 2024 season. For the Rockies, it’s a question of whether to move him now or to hold and see if his value increases in subsequent seasons. With a big first half, he could be one of the prizes of the summer trade market. On the other hand, if Doyle incurs an injury or sees his offensive doldrums continue, it could further sap his value.

There’s no perfect solution, but with teams like the Royals, Marlins, Phillies, Guardians and Angels (among others) all potentially on the hunt for some center field help, it’s possible Doyle could draw strong enough interest to sway DePodesta and Byrnes as soon as this winter.

The other outfielders on the Rockies’ roster carry less value. Mickey Moniak belted 24 homers and hit .270/.306/.518 last season but did so with bottom-of-the scale defensive grades in the outfield (-23 Defensive Runs Saved, -8 Outs Above Average). Jordan Beck and Zac Veen were both top prospects at one point, but neither has solidified himself in the majors yet. Beck hit .258/.317/.416 with 16 homers and 19 steals but needed a .351 BABIP to get there, thanks largely to his near-30% strikeout rate. Veen struggled in his first 37 big league plate appearances and has yet to hit sufficiently in a pair of seasons at Triple-A. Either could be swapped out for a former top pitching prospect with similar struggles, speculatively speaking, but neither is going to bring back someone the Rockies can confidently plug into their rotation from the jump.

Rockies Outright Warming Bernabel

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Infielder Warming Bernabel has been outrighted off the Rockies’ 40-man roster, the team announced. Bernabel has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Colorado’s 40-man is now at 37 players.

The 23-year-old Bernabel made his MLB debut in July. He got off to a torrid start, going 14-for-28 with three home runs in his first seven games. Bernabel cooled off significantly after that incredible first week, hitting just .189 with one homer the rest of the way. A concussion cost him a couple of weeks in September. He finished his first foray at the highest level with a 78 wRC+ over 40 games.

Colorado added Bernabel as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. He showed a consistent ability to make contact and rack up hits in the lower levels of the minors before running into a roadblock at Double-A in 2023.  Bernabel hit just .225 with Hartford, while striking out at a rate above 20% for the first time as a professional. He posted tepid results at the same level in 2024, but was bumped to Triple-A this past year and performed well. Bernabel hit .301 in 75 games with Albuquerque, earning a promotion to the big-league club.

Bernabel has played corner infield primarily, with the majority of his appearances in Colorado coming at first base. Bernabel has also spent time at DH, which might be a better long-term fit. Scouts graded him as a mediocre to poor fielder, and he recorded -2 Outs Above Average in his brief stint with the Rockies.

If Bernabel is going to find success at the highest level, he’ll need to find a way to impact the ball better. He posted an underwhelming 32.5% hard-hit rate and an 85.4 mph average exit velocity. Bernabel managed just three barrels on 114 batted balls. He did pull the ball at an elevated 42.1% rate, which could help his subpar batted ball metrics lead to modest power, but the home run binge to begin his MLB career seems to have been an aberration.

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