The post-holiday doldrums are still in full swing as we enter the first full week of 2026. The Rockies did plenty prior to midnight last Thursday. The coaching staff and front office are all but full as we await
formal announcements of both by the end of January. However, it’s been a few quiet weeks at 20th and Blake and we’re all waiting for the next move.
In the meantime, here at Purple Row we wanted to try something a little bit different. We’ve opened up our mailbox to answer questions from our readers!
Why’d Schaef change his number from 34 to 4? — Baseball Barry in Fairview
This was something we actually did not know about until your question was asked!
We’ve reached out for comment from the Rockies and Schaeffer regarding his number change, but haven’t heard back yet. My best guess is that no. 4 is just a number he likes, and is now available with the departure of Michael Toglia.
Throughout his playing and coaching career, Schaeffer has worn a few different numbers. The most common of which are 4, 12, and 13. No. 12 has been given to Sean Bouchard and now Kyle Karros, while no. 13 was given to Alan Trejo, Zac Veen, and most recently Clint Hurdle.
Should the Rockies move to a home/road split rotation for starting pitching, with different starters for Coors Field and away games? — JD in Norfolk
The idea of the Rockies rostering pitchers specifically for use at home or on the road is one I’ve seen floated before. In being honest, it’s not an idea I’m particularly high on.
Logistically I think it’s more trouble than it’s worth. A Major League 26-man roster simply doesn’t have the space to keep what is basically two full rotations with the team, especially with the limit on how many pitchers you can carry in general. The Rockies would essentially need to be running their starters on limited rest if they were on an extended home-stand or road trip. They would also need to rotate pitchers in and out of the bullpen to make sure there are enough pitchers available.
While the idea of having a road specialist or home specialist is appealing when you have pitchers like Chase Dollander putting up solid performances on the road—a 3.46 ERA in ten starts—while getting shelled at Coors Field. However, I ultimately think the best approach is for the Rockies to focus on pitching quality regardless of venue. The new pitching development staff needs to equip this pitching staff with the tools to succeed—both mechanically and in terms of arsenal—no matter where they start.
With a hitter-friendly park and an expansive outfield, who is a player that could benefit most hitting there either currently on the roster or a FA? Thanks! — Rox Fantastic in Modesto
I was discussing this with Skyler Timmins the other day, and I do legitimately think if the new coaching staff works as intended, we have multiple players on the roster who can tap more into their power. Mickey Moniak, Ezequiel Tovar, and Brenton Doyle all have the ability to hit for power and make use of Coors Field’s expansive outfield, but there are more players on this roster who have that potential.
A big name for me is young third baseman Kyle Karros. At 6’5” and still growing into his frame, Karros has built-in power potential. We’ve also seen him make adjustment to find more pop. Such mechanical adjustments helped Karros hit 15 home runs in his 2024 Northwest League MVP campaign despite playing in a pitcher-friendly environment.
I’d also like to see left fielder Jordan Beck take another step forward in 2026. We know “Mike Honcho” has the ability to hit for power, and he quietly put together a decent enough sophomore season in 2025. However, he was very inconsistent, often going through long dry spells between clusters of home runs.
Beck is easily capable of a 20/20 season with his combination of speed and power, and when he makes quality contact he’s a strong general extra-base threat. Beck had the second-most doubles on the team behind Hunter Goodman, and was tied for the second-most triples with Goodman in 2025.
As for free agents… Honestly I’m not sure. None of the big name free agents like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger are realistically signing any sort of deal with the Rockies. I would have said Japanese sluggers Kazuma Okamoto or Munetaka Murakami are good fits, but both are now sadly off the market. Murakami signed a surprisingly cheap two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox, and Okamoto just signed a four-year contract with the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays.
That’s not to say there aren’t options. As Skyler explored early in the off-season, first baseman Rhys Hoskins could be an intriguing addition to the Rockies. Although it would very likely be a short-term move. Austin Hayes and Max Kepler could also make for interesting options as a designated hitter for the Rockies.
There has been a lot of discussion about Paul DePodesta’s new vision for the team, particularly for its pitching. Is there any indication as to what the specifics of that vision is, such as focusing on high velo strikeout guys or is he going to stay focused on pitch to contact type pitchers? — Dante in Singapore
The Rockies haven’t been particularly open about their general pitching strategy to go along with their revamped coaching an development team. What we do know is that the team is finally getting away from their previous “cookie cutter” approach to building a pitching staff.
Under Warren Schaeffer we’ve seen the pitchers move away from a one-size-fits-all strategy of sinking fastballs at the knees and breaking pitches to supplement in favor of a focus on individual strengths and quality pitches. This could mean velocity, and it could also mean working on specific pitches.
A great example is towering right-handed reliever RJ Petit, whom the Rockies acquired in this off-season’s Rule 5 draft. Petit has good velocity on his four-seam fastball, averaging 95 MPH and topping out at 98 MPH. However, the Rockies are really interested in his gyro slider. Described by Baseball America as a “deathball curveball,” the slider sits in the mid-80s with negative vertical break and sweeping action and the Rockies think it might play well at Coors Field.
We did finally get some insight into organizational philosophy last week when Paul DePodesta spoke with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.
At face value, it may seem like DePodesta is relying on the familiar Rockies adage of “we just need to play better.” However, he discusses at length the need for a unified organizational philosophy.
“We’ve talked a lot about alignment, from the minor leagues up to the big leagues, through our scouting department and through our international development,” DePodesta said. “All of it should be tied together. I see it going in that direction.”
Also different from previous years is an explanation of just how the Rockies can get their pitchers to pitch better. The Rockies have invested significantly in resources for pitching coaching and development.
“With the pitching leadership we have brought into the organization the last six weeks, I think that’s a potentially significant lever for us,” DePodesta said. “That doesn’t mean we are just going to rely entirely on that lever and just go with what we have now and make everyone suddenly better. But we think that, given the sheer manpower we have allocated to the pitching side, there’s definitely room for improvement with the players we have. We’re excited about exploring that as we head into spring training.”
Thank you so much to everyone who reached out with questions! We were sent a lot of really good ones and did our best to answer as many as possible in this first installment of the mailbag. We will be saving any unanswered questions for potential future installments.
If this mailbag is a feature you would like to see regularly, please let us know in the comments and keep an eye out for future openings for submissions.
Rockies Achieve Encouraging Ranking in Pitchers with Tommy John Surgery | Sports Illustrated
The Rockies may have had a historically awful season—especially when it comes to pitching—but Tommy John surgery wasn’t to blame. According to baseball researcher Jon Roegele, the Rockies had one of the lower rates of using pitchers who had already had or needed Tommy John surgery. The league reached new highs in 2025 with a whopping 39.1% of all MLB pitchers having had the surgery.
Rockies gear up for first salary arbitration deadline with Paul DePodesta | YardBarker
The next deadline for the new-look Rockies front office is coming up this week. On Thursday, the Rockies must come to terms on contracts with their five eligible players to avoid arbitration. These players are Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle, Ryan Feltner, Jimmy Herget, and Brennan Bernardino.
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