A briefing on the Rockies’ arbitration players for 2027

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 5: Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run in the fifth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon

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What is the story about?

The offseason will be a bit trickier for the Colorado Rockies this year.

The window to make decisions will be shorter because the World Series will end on October 27 at the earliest, and the collective bargaining agreement ends on December 2, bringing a presumed lockout. That leaves teams with about a month to start making meaningful decisions before the market is frozen with no real clarity on when it will resume under a new CBA.

One of the major decisions to make will be figuring out which players

will be tendered a contract. Under the current CBA, the non-tender deadline will be November 20. The most consequential group of players for the Rockies are those who are eligible for arbitration this year. The Rockies have a relatively short list of arbitration players this year, and thanks to the folks over at MLB Trade Rumors, we have a guideline of projected salaries for what the players could potentially earn in 2027.

As it stands, here are the confirmed eligible players:

Jimmy Herget: $2.4 million
Jake McCarthy: $4.6 million
Ryan Feltner: $3.8 million
Brennan Bernardino: $1.6 million
Hunter Goodman: $6.2 million

So, let’s check in on the prospects of each player being tendered a contract and sticking with the Rockies for 2027.

Jimmy Herget

Entering his final year of arbitration, Jimmy Herget is an interesting case for the Rockies. Claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs, Herget ended up as one of the most valuable players for the historically bad Colorado Rockies. In 83.1 innings over 59 appearances, Herget posted a 2.48 ERA and looked like a revelation for the Rockies bullpen.

Unfortunately, he regressed in 2026, posting a 5.70 ERA over 53.2 innings across 51 appearances. The major issue was that he gave up a lot of hard contact and more home runs than ever before, alongside an 11% walk rate. The Rockies often needed some firemen to put out fires, and Herget had his moments, but he was purely a bridge piece when deployed.

Herget turned 33 in September, so age isn’t exactly an issue since his veteran experience is welcome in a young Rockies bullpen. The projected $2.4 million salary also isn’t a massive dent to the budget, assuming the Rockies should have some flexibility to spend some money. The safe route is to run it back with Herget, but it may behoove the Rockies to look for other bullpen arms, perhaps with a more consistent track record of success to set the tone in the bullpen.

Prediction: Non-tendered

Jake McCarthy

No one was expecting Jake McCarthy to have the breakout season he ended up having with the Rockies in 2026. He ended up stabilizing the lead-off spot while putting together a historic Rockies season. Initially brought in as an extra-outfield option, McCarthy made himself a home in Colorado and even earned a nomination for the All-MLB Team.

Entering his second year of arbitration, McCarthy did enough to earn himself a nice pay raise. Projected to earn $4.6 million, that’s a 201.7% increase over his $1.525 million salary this season. For a single-season salary, that’s not a bad result for either party involved. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies figured something out for a multi-year deal to buy out his third year of arbitration, as he just turned 29 in July.

Unless something materializes and the Rockies get a trade offer they can’t refuse, McCarthy is extremely likely to start the 2027 season with Colorado.

Prediction: Tendered, potentially extended

Ryan Feltner

Before the season ended, I was leaning heavily toward the idea of Ryan Feltner getting non-tendered. Despite his potential, Feltner just hasn’t been able to put it all together as a starter to be consistently competitive. Walks remain an issue while he gives up a lot of contact with too few strikeouts. In 2026, he posted a 6.10 ERA across 22 starts, giving up 120 hits, including 20 home runs, in 107.2 innings.

However, the Rockies decided to move Feltner into the bullpen as a bulk reliever/piggyback late in the season, and it started to work for him. In 15.2 innings over four outings, Feltner allowed one earned run on 12 hits for a 0.57 ERA. For some reason, the move just seemed to work better for him, much like it did for Chase Dollander earlier this season.

If the Rockies plan to keep Feltner in that role as they try to figure out pitching at altitude for the club, a $3.8 million salary in his second year of arbitration isn’t a bad deal, money-wise. However, there is the risk that comes with it and the record of Feltner struggling in Colorado, along with him just turning 30. The small sample size of 15 relief innings shouldn’t be enough to gamble nearly $4 million when that money could be used on fortifying the rotation. Perhaps a trade could come together because a change of scenery could do him some good. Either way, his fate feels a little bit uncertain, despite the promising success to finish the season.

Prediction: Tendered

Brennan Bernardino

The first trade by Paul DePodesta as head of the Rockiesturned out to be a good one with Brennan Bernardino. As a Super Two player, Bernardino is entering his second year of arbitration at the age of 34 and will turn 35 in January. He isn’t slated to become a free agent until 2030.

Bernardino has been fairly successful in his career since debuting in 2022 as a 30-year-old and put up his best season yet in 2026. In 64 innings over 72 appearances, Bernardino posted a sparkling 2.81 ERA with 49 strikeouts against 15 walks. He was deployed in various roles throughout the year, but the consistency of his reliability, especially as a lefty, was a welcome asset to the Rockies bullpen.

It seems like a no-brainer to retain Bernardino, especially at the projected price of $1.6 million. Southpaw relievers are a valuable commodity, and he has been a steadying veteran presence in the bullpen. Of course, age will always be a concern for players in their mid-30s, but Bernardino showed no signs of slowing down all year and looks to have a few more years in the big leagues. However, it’s that value that may make him a popular ask by other teams.

Many expected Bernardino to be traded, but the Rockies elected to keep him around. Perhaps November will be the time to trade him, as the uncertainty of 2027 may make trades more viable, especially for an effective lefty reliever.

Prediction: Tendered, potentially traded

Hunter Goodman

The power of Hunter Goodman continues to be a marvel for the Rockies. After hitting 31 home runs in 144 games last season, Goodman slugged 41 home runs in 138 games in 2026. While the value went down due to an increase in strikeouts and the need for improved defensive skills, Goodman still enjoyed a quality All-Star season. Now, as he turns 27 this coming Thursday, Goodman enters his first year of arbitration eligibility.

This season, Goodman’s salary was $810,000. His projected salary in arbitration of $6.2 million would be the highest amount in Rockies history for a first-year arbitration player, beating the $5 million salaries of both Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story.

It will always pay to hit home runs, and Goodman is more than deserving in that aspect. There is little doubt the Rockies would end up tendering him a contract and settling on an amount in that $6 million ballpark. The question is whether a long-term extension is in play or if the Rockies will be open to trading Goodman.

There was interest in him near the trade deadline, but concerns about his defense working with a new pitching staff mid-season, along with the Rockies’ high asking price, nixed any deal. However, teams are less averse to trading for a catcher in the offseason, and there are sure to be some phone calls coming the Rockies’ way before the lockout. Whether or not the Rockies pick up the phone is another question. However, it’s hard to imagine the Rockies trading away Goodman at this point as his power is something the lineup desperately needs.

Prediction: Tendered

Jordan Beck (Super Two)

While it won’t be finalized until after the season, MLB Trade Rumors estimates that Jordan Beck could be eligible for arbitration this season as a Super Two player. With 2.133 years of service time, Beck could be right on the cusp of earning four years of arbitration, or barely miss by a matter of a day or two.

It was a tough season for Beck as he struggled to take advantage of the opening in right field at the start of the season and saw his playing time reduced to a platoon role against lefties. He did quite well against left-handed pitching with a .295 AVG and a .760 OPS but hit just .091 against righties with a .312 OPS. He was never quite able to find a rhythm this season and force more opportunities from the Rockies as some other players did. Strikeouts and the lack of power were major issues for him.

If he is eligible for arbitration, I feel the Rockies would be unlikely to retain him, even for $1.2 million. If they did tender him a contract, the projected $1.2 million is cheap enough to swallow, but is it worth it? The best option may be to non-tender him to clear space and hope he can find an opportunity elsewhere where he can hopefully thrive.

Prediction: Non-tendered

Wait and see

November is going to be an interesting month to see how active the Rockies are with moves. There are also a lot of question marks about how the roster will continue to reshape in the second off-season with DePodesta at the helm. The non-tender deadline is going to be a huge indicator of the next step forward, I feel, and all we can do is wait and see.