As the postseason rages on and the Colorado Rockies continue their search for their new general manager (or president of baseball operations, if you subscribe to that idea), one of the major first orders
of business will concern non-tenders and arbitration-eligible players.
The offseason process is anybody’s guess at this point since the Rockies don’t have anyone making the decisions based on a plan or vision quite yet. Still, we can look at this season’s arbitration-eligible players to see their projected salaries and surmise what the Rockies could do concerning them. Projections are once again based on Matt Swartz’s model used by MLB Trade Rumors.
Thairo Estrada
It was a rough year for second baseman Thairo Estrada as injuries plagued him, limiting him to just 39 games in a Rockies uniform. When healthy, he did show flashes of what the Rockies were hoping he could be for them as he played solid defense and slashed .253/.285/.370 with three home runs in 165 plate appearances. He has signed to one-year, $3.25 million deal for 2025 with $750,000 buyout of a $7 million mutual option for 2026.
In all likelihood, the option will be declined by the Rockies; however, if either side declines the mutual option, the Rockies will still have the opportunity to retain Estrada via arbitration for one more year due to his Super Two status. He is projected to earn $3.8 million in arbitration, leaving room for the Rockies to see if he can turn in a healthy year with second base being an option tryout. Otherwise, he will be non-tendered and become a free agent.
Jimmy Herget
On the list of MLB players who were a transaction steal in 2025, reliever Jimmy Herget belongs near the top of the list. Claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs after he agreed to a one-year, $850,000 contract, Herget went on to have one of the best seasons by a Rockies reliever in franchise history. Consistent and reliable, Herget managed to conquer Coors Field and was the most effective reliever in an otherwise inexperienced and young Rockies pen.
In just his second year of arbitration, the 32-year-old is projected to earn $1.5 million for the 2026 season. It’s tough to expect him to replicate what he did in 2025, but it’s a manageable price to pay for an effective reliever that kept hitters off balance and was unfazed by the transition between Coors Field and pitching on the road. The Rockies could look to him as the veteran anchor to help mentor the arms in the bullpen for a reasonable price. Otherwise, they could look to trade him or simply non-tender him and give him a chance to test the open market if he isn’t claimed off waivers again.
Mickey Moniak
Perhaps the most intriguing player for the Rockies on this list, Mickey Moniak, enjoyed a good year with Colorado. As he recorded a career high in home runs and played himself into a fairly regular role with the club, the Rockies certainly have some incentive to keep him around. His offense did a lot of the talking, as the defense wasn’t that good, but Coors Field is a harsh environment for most outfield gloves if they aren’t truly elite.
He is projected to earn the most out of the players on this list, coming in at $4.2 million. Considering he slashed .270/.306/.518 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI in 135 games, it’s not an unreasonable salary to re-sign him. On the other hand, the incentive of a new head of the front office to clear space and look to the prospects in-house or other alternatives may see Moniak flipped to another team or simply non-tendered. There certainly could be some interest in Moniak by other teams, even if he benefited greatly from Coors Field, to net the Rockies a prospect or two, but that is a question for a new GM to answer.
Lucas Gilbreath
Fully healthy in 2025, Lucas Gilbreath spent the whole season in Triple-A Albuquerque aside from a single inning he tossed at the big league level. Due to a handful of bad outings spread throughout the season, Gilbreath had an ugly ERA by the end of the Triple-A season. The fact that he was healthy was the most positive sign, but it likely won’t be enough to save him in arbitration.
Gilbreath is projected to earn $900,000, but because of the injury history and the lack of elite performance, he may be primed to be non-tendered. The Rockies will need to open up space on the 40-man roster, and there is little incentive to keep a 29-year-old lefty who has thrown just two big league innings since 2022.
Ryan Feltner
Many things went wrong for the Rockies’ starting rotation in 2025, and losing Ryan Feltner for the majority of the year was a major one. He made just six starts through the end of April before a back injury sidelined him for the next few months. He made a few rehab starts before being activated and optioned to Triple-A to continue working on stretching back out as a starter. Unfortunately, he struggled in Albuquerque, and injuries again sidelined him for the rest of the season.
He is projected to earn $2.3 million, and the Rockies are likely to easily figure something out to keep Feltner around. The team needs depth, and although Feltner battled consistency in those six big league starts, he still had a 4.75 ERA in 30 1/3 innings. The rotation has a lot of question marks, but being able to get Feltner back fully healthy over the offseason would alleviate some of the stress that the rotation equation is going to cause this winter.
Tyler Freeman
Much like Moniak, Freeman ended up being a nice surprise for the Rockies in 2025. His bat nabbed him a regular role in the outfield as the Rockies’ leadoff hitter. However, much like Moniak, his defense left a lot to be desired in the outfield. The Rockies are always in need of a versatile utility player, and that’s a role Freeman could still fill, even if he wasn’t really used that way this past season.
Freeman is projected to earn a modest $1.8 million, which isn’t a terrible figure for what he can bring to the team. The Rockies could keep Freeman around with the intention of trying him out on the infield a little more alongside the outfield mix to find more opportunities to keep his bat in the lineup, as well as others. However, it’s also easy to see the Rockies cutting him loose in some way to try and get a prospect, or save a little bit of money to be used elsewhere.
Brenton Doyle
After a stellar 2024 campaign, it seemed that Doyle was going to be a prime candidate to be signed to a long-term extension. Instead, the Rockies seemed to have little to no interest in that option and Doyle certainly suffered a regression at the plate. While the step back can be attributed to some injuries and other matters, he did show a flash of what he can do back in August, while his glove stayed rather excellent, especially in the second half of the season.
As a Super Two player, Doyle enters his first of four arbitration-eligible years and could earn somewhere around $3.2 million in arbitration after earning the league minimum. A quick rise in cost could put the Rockies in a precarious position. A new GM could see Doyle as a) a key player to retain as a leader or b) a player that is a valuable trade chip in a rebuild.
At this point, either option is reasonable. The lack of an immediate player to plug into center field could result in Doyle sticking around, but players Cole Carrigg aren’t too far off from the big leagues, and the Rockies could view him as a serious candidate to break camp for 2026. Certainly keep an eye on Doyle this offseason.
Conclusion
As I’ve said a few times before, it’s hard to predict what the Rockies will do with any of these arbitration players because we don’t know what the agenda of the new person in charge will be or how much control they will have to do what they see fit.
Still, the fact remains, the Rockies have a lot of interesting decisions to make this offseason as they try to find a new path forward as an organization.
Arizona Fall League
Salt River Rafters 7, Glendale Desert Dogs 3
Jared Thomas shone bright in the first game of the AFL, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple to help lead the Salt River Rafters to victory. His fellow Rockies prospects also had some impact as Charlie Condon had two RBI as part of a 1-for-5 day. On the mound, Cade Denton entered with one out in the second inning to deliver a quick outing, recording two outs to get out of the inning. Welinton Herrera recorded a hold in the eighth, striking out one and walking one in a scoreless outing.
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