We baseball writers are a cynical bunch. That probably stems from long workdays, 162-game schedules, and too many nothing-burger quotes from multi-million-dollar athletes. So, call me surprised when, at last week’s winter meetings in Orlando, several fellow scribes approached me to talk about the Rockies in a semi-positive way. The common theme? “At least they’re doing something different!” Under the guidance of executive vice president Walker Monfort, Colorado hired Paul DePodesta as the president of baseball operations and Josh Byrnes as general manager. Owner Dick Monfort is no longer steering the Rockies’ future. There is, genuinely, a fresh outlook taking hold in LoDo. Talking with DePodesta, Byrnes, and manager Warren Schaeffer, it was tempting to let optimism override my cynicism. Until one national writer, who has intense disdain for the way the Rockies run their show, quipped: “Hey, maybe they won’t lose 100 again.” See, I told you we’re a cynical bunch. Schaeffer, one of the least cynical people I know, fired off the prime quote of the Rockies’ offseason when he said, “The ultimate goal is to bring consistent winning seasons to this organization. You’re going to see winning baseball in Denver a lot sooner than you think.” Refreshing, for sure. But for a team coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, capped off by 119 losses in 2025, that might not be a reach. Keep in mind that the New York Mets lost 100-plus games in five of their first six years of existence, including four in a row from 1962-65. The ’25 Rockies were every bit as bad as those Mets. It’s impossible to forget that Colorado’s run differential was minus-424. Here, I must quote Hall of Fame baseball writer Jayson Stark: “No team had been outscored by that many runs in a season since the infamous 1899 Cleveland Spiders, an outfit that lost 134 games. Because baseball’s modern era is considered to have begun in 1900, that means the Rockies just broke the modern-era record. “Except that ‘broke’ doesn’t even begin to describe this. “Obliterated” feels more like it. So let’s put what they did into a better perspective. “The previous modern record for worst run differential was minus-349, by the 1932 Boston Red Sox. That one held up for 92 years. Then these Rockies blew past it by 75 runs. That’s the equivalent of Aaron Judge or Cal Raleigh breaking Barry Bonds’ single-season MLB home run record (of 73) by hitting 89.” Stark didn’t even mention that Colorado’s rotation posted a 6.65 ERA, the worst for a starting staff since ERA became an official stat in 1913. Which brings us to the second-best quote of the Rockies’ offseason. “I’ve used this phrase before, but I’m a bit of a sucker for a challenge,” DePodesta said at last month’s general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas, shortly after he was hired. And Colorado’s Mount Everest of a challenge is fixing their pitching. If the Rockies want to make progress in 2026, here’s what they must do during the offseason. Acquire at least one, preferably two, experienced starting pitchers. We’re not talking Paul Skenes here; we’re talking about No. 4 or No. 5 starters — innings eaters — who could provide the team with some stability and slow down the losing treadmill. Veterans would also give Colorado’s young prospects a chance to mature. Because, in retrospect, Chase Dollander, the Rockies’ most talented pitcher, was not ready for the majors in 2025. “First and foremost, probably like everybody, we’re looking for starting pitching,” DePodesta said at the winter meeting. “That’s an area of focus. It’s an area where we need to improve, certainly off last year’s club. We’ve got some depth, because we have some younger guys that are making their way through the system. 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Doyle’s an intriguing player, and teams asked about him at the trade deadline in July. He has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, and his 2026 salary will likely be $3 to $3.5 million. Despite his struggles at the plate last season, he’s an attractive player with a big upside. In the past, the Rockies would probably not even be open to trading Doyle, but if they want to bring winning baseball to Denver “sooner than we think,” they might have to. ...read more read less