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While the Colorado Rockies have been doing a superb job filling out their coaching staff and front office, the matter of the roster still looms over the 2026 season.
The Rockies certainly haven’t been sitting on their hands as they’ve made some minor additions to flesh out their depth. However, those moves remain just that: minor. Regardless of what roles Nicky Lopez or Chad Stevens may actually play for the 2026 Rockies, the team has numerous holes to fill and somewhat limited options for addressing them.
Free agents are always a chore, waiver claims are a gamble, and minor league deals are more about depth than anything else. That leaves trades as the primary method for the team to address one of its most pressing needs: pitching.
The Rockies have already made one trade this offseason, sending outfield prospect Braiden Ward to the Boston Red Sox for aged reliever Brennan Bernardino. The trade fills a need of adding an experienced lefty to the bullpen while clearing out the log jam ever so slightly of the numerous outfielders the Rockies have.
DePodesta alluded to the fact that the Rockies could look to trade from their more abundant positions, which many took to mean the outfield. To attempt to bring in big league pitching for the rotation, the Rockies’ best trade chip might be Brenton Doyle.
Doyle’s name was popular at the Winter Meetings as teams have continually reached out about the possibility of acquiring him. It was reported that the Padres, Phillies, Yankees, and Mets are just some of the “many” teams that have checked in with Colorado about the two-time Gold Glover.
Why should they keep him?
There is no mistaking that Doyle had a rough 2025 season. Tragic events off the field early in the season understandably took a toll, as did the early injuries. He struggled at the plate through the first half of the season, but rebounded nicely to his former self in the second half by slashing .287/.312/.467 with eight home runs. July and August were both spectacular before he had his worst month of the season in September. Still, he finished the year with a line of .233/.274/.376, along with 15 home runs and 18 stolen bases.
While his defense took a hit in 2025, he still managed “only” six Outs Above Average, though naturally this is still very strong. Through his three years as the Rockies’ regular in center field, Doyle has proven to be one of the best not just for the Rockies but for baseball as a whole. His ability to cover the expansive grounds of Coors Field is nothing to sneeze at. He is a valuable asset who makes pitchers better simply by the fact that he can chase down those long fly balls.
“He’s one of the elite defensive center fielders in the game — in our ballpark, that plays, and it’s important,” DePodesta said at the Winter Meetings. “He’s also shown real power, hit a bunch of homers, lots of extra-base hits. He’s big, strong, athletic, fast, there’s a lot to like about him. There’s an excellent foundation. Hopefully, he can continue to progress and get better.
“He’s a really good player, and I’m not surprised that there was a lot of interest in him at the Deadline, or that people will continue to have interest.”
There is the familiarity and comfort of having Doyle in center field. As a Super-Two player, the Rockies still have several years of team control through arbitration, and Doyle is projected to earn a modest contract slightly around the $3 million range.
His speed on the bases is something that fits the brand of baseball manager Warren Schaeffer likes. Have a contact capable bat with speed that can swipe bags, drop bunts, and overall play small ball is something the Rockies are likely going to value more in 2026.
The roster is also young and inexperienced. One of the reasons his defensive numbers took a hit was that he was playing with more inexperienced outfielders early on. Things improved as the year went on, as Jordan Beck became more comfortable in left field and would let Doyle take charge. He is a leader not just on the field but in the clubhouse. Just as Samantha Bradfield wrote on Monday, team chemistry is important and Doyle is a major player in helping develop that chemistry and culture in the clubhouse the team is looking for.
I’d also argue that trading Doyle away to fill a need of starting pitching is just opening up another gaping hole in center field. No one of the current big league roster is truly capable of handling the day-to-day wear-and-tear of playing center for the Rockies. Additionally, there is no real immediate candidate in-house that could step up right away. Cole Carrigg is likely the best candidate, but he still hasn’t reached Triple-A and the new front office is hoping to build a system where prospects are earning their big league at-bats rather than being handed them out of necessity.
Doyle is a staple and the Rockies may figure to just hold onto him and see he has recoup value during the season and enhance his return. There would be no point in selling low at this point, but rather wait and see how he works with the new coaching staff and analytical impact DePodesta and Josh Byrnes are implementing. The Rockies are a better team with Doyle in the lineup and on the field.
“We’re not actually looking to move any of our players. We’re looking to add to this roster,” DePodesta said. “But we have to be open-minded if people are really interested in some of our players and what that might bring us.”
Why should they trade him?
Still, of the players the Rockies have on the big league roster that seems more likely to be moved, Doyle is a prime candidate. His pedigree and the need for an outfielder across the market could still make him a valuable commodity to fill a need for the Rockies.
The defense is certainly the biggest draw for most teams, along with the cheaper contract. It’s the versaility and offensive upside that could make him a popular target. There is certianly a possibility that he could break out even more hitting in a more normalized environment.
Early on last week, folks tabbed the pitching-rich Royals and the Rockies as a match. In any sort of trade, pitching would have to be at the forefront, specifically big league ready pitching. The Rockies need starters, preferably ones with big league experience and a bit of success. Whether that’s in the form of a veteran or a controllable younger starter like Austin Gomber was back in the day, remains to be seen.
The Rockies have had the tendency in the past to hold on to players for too long, expecting to get a huge return after they’ve already had a bad season. Sometimes it may be better to gamble on trading Doyle now, rather than getting a worse return in July after he has struggled more. You could still get something decent later, but what if what you could get now is better?
While it would be difficult to replace his defense, there is no shortage of potential options, even if it has to be a position by committee. You can scour the free agent market for a reclamation project that is much weaker defensively like JJ Bleday, or a light hitting option like Garrett Hampson, even though he is better suited for the bench role. Oh course, there is always a matter of manufacturing a trade with a team.
A trade would make things a little complicated, but if the rewards of trading Doyle outweigh that risk, than it might be worth letting the new front office cook up some new ideas.
What should they do?
After parsing things out, I’m more in the camp of keeping Doyle to start the season. Let him try and build up value again and reassess his market next summer. I’d rather see what he can do under this new team philosophy. If you followed my Out of the Park Baseball sim articles recently, I had a heck of a time replacing Doyle in the outfield. Sure, the pitching I got in return was decent, but it left a hole in my struggling offense.
The rumors will continue throughout the winter and a trade of Doyle could be one the biggest testaments to the front office’s autonomy and ability to make bold moves with the big league roster.
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