ORLANDO, Fla. — There’s a gaping, first-base-sized hole in the Rockies’ lineup, and they’re spending considerable time at the winter meetings trying to figure out how to fill it.
In fact, Paul DePodesta, the club’s new president of baseball operations, met with representatives of at least two free-agent first basemen on Monday afternoon. However, he didn’t say who the players were.
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“We’re certainly entertaining the idea of some of the veterans that are out there,” DePodesta said during his media session in the Rockies’ suite at the posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel. “Right after this, I have a meeting with, or a couple of meetings, with some guys who represent some first basemen.
“But we also have some other guys still on the roster. One guy, in particular, had a nice September last year and did some interesting things, and then a first-round pick from two years ago is also a pretty good-looking player. So anyway, it could end up being a mix.”
Here’s how that all breaks down:
• The hole was created when Colorado cut ties with strikeout-prone Michael Toglia, the 2019 first-round draft choice, in November. On Saturday, Warming Bernabel, who supplanted Toglia at first base last season, cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. And then, of course, there is oft-injured veteran Kris Bryant, whose chronic back issues could prevent him from ever playing baseball again.
• For now, the only first baseman on the 40-man roster is Blaine Crim, who slashed .241/.295/.556 with five homers and two doubles in 15 games at the end of the season. The Rockies claimed Crim off waivers from Texas on Aug. 15. Crim, 28, was the guy that DePodesta said had a “nice September.”
“We’ve got ‘Crim’ coming in to battle for that job,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I feel like guys are going to come out in competition for that spot.”
The “first-round pick from two years ago,” of course, is 22-year-old Charlie Condon, selected out of Georgia with the third overall pick. Colorado’s No. 2 prospect overcame injuries in his first professional season in 2024 to make an impressive showing in ’25. At High-A Spokane, he hit .312 with three homers in 35 games. He struggled a bit after his promotion to Double-A Hartford, but still hit .235 and slugged 11 home runs in 55 games.
GM Josh Byrnes joined the Rockies for ‘the challenge’ and to team with Paul DePodesta
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He shone in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .337/.439/.434 with one home run and 13 RBIs in 22 games. He also had a double and two triples.
• Possible free agents in the Rockies’ offseason wheelhouse could be players such as Josh Bell, Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn.
Filling staff. Schaeffer, in conjunction with DePodesta, new general manager Josh Byrnes and farm director Chris Forbes, has been working to fill out his big-league coach staff. However, Schaeffer is not ready to divulge the names.
“We’re making strides behind closed doors,” Schaeffer said. “There’s been a lot of time spent on staff the last 10 days or so. It’s starting to shape up.”
DePodesta said that while the Rockies will likely hire a “new hitting leadership group,” Nic Wilson and Jordan Pacheco will return in some capacity as hitting coaches. The duo took over when Hensley Meulens was fired early last season.
“But we will also bring in some new voices and new perspectives that will help, also,” DePodesta said.
Feltner update. It’s no secret that the Rockies’ most pressing need is to fix a broken starting rotation that posted a 6.65 ERA last season, setting a modern-era record for futility. The club is actively looking at trades, the waiver wire and free agency to turn things around.
However, right-hander Ryan Feltner could be the most critical piece of the 2026 rotation — if he can stay healthy. Back and shoulder injuries limited him to six starts in the majors and seven in the minors.
That was a huge disappointment, because Feltner was Colorado’s best starter in the second half of the 2024 season. In his final outings, he posted a 2.75 ERA and a .227 batting average against.
The Rockies’ staff, as well as Feltner, agree that he needs to get stronger to avoid injuries in 2026.
“I talk to ‘Felt’ often; he’s doing well,” Schaeffer said. “He’s doing everything he can to get his body right for next year, and he’s doing well. He knows that’s something that he needs to do, and that’s going to keep him healthy. It’s a constant conversation.
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