Dick Monfort is one of the leading figures on the owner’s side in the labor negotiations with the MLB Players Association. The 71-year-old pointed out that he will have more work to do in that area now that the collective labor agreement expires in just over a year. “I have a lot more responsibility within the league in the coming year, so I have to spend time on that. Besides, I’m getting older,” he told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post). “Walker came to me and said he was interested in a bigger role. He can handle it.”
It is widely believed that Monfort will be one of the leading proponents of a salary cap by the owners. The MLBPA has insisted this is a non-starter, paving the way for another round of contentious negotiations. The parties have recently begun preliminary talks, but will almost certainly continue negotiating throughout the 2026 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already indicated he expects offseason lockouts to be the norm. A lockout would only come into play if a new deal is not struck by December 1, 2026, and it appears both sides are pessimistic about the chances of things being resolved so smoothly.
Walker Monfort, Dick’s son, has taken on a much bigger role at the Rox in recent months. Although he has worked for the franchise for more than 15 years, he was promoted to executive vice president in June. The 38-year-old was instrumental in DePodesta’s recruitment and indicated he will oversee much of the club’s day-to-day operations. “Obviously, everyone reports up to our chairman and CEO, my father, Dick. Basically, I will still be in charge of overseeing the entire organization from there,” Walker Monfort said. “So Paul will report to me, and those he hires will report to him.”
Key among these hires will be a general manager and a manager. DePodesta said there is no timetable for either hire. The Rockies are the only team without a permanent manager. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported last week that the Rox would like to have a GM in place by next month’s Winter Meetings.
Colorado’s search for a baseball head took a little longer than the owner probably expected. They were reportedly narrowed down to two finalists, Amiel Sawdaye and Matt Forman, before both men eliminated themselves from consideration. Dick Monfort said the team evaluated about 30 candidates in the search.
With every appointment, work would have to be done for him. DePodesta takes over one of the worst teams in MLB history. They are coming off a 119 loss season and have very little talent on the roster. A pitching staff that allowed nearly six earned runs per nine innings is in particularly rough shape. Speaking at the GM Meetings earlier this week, DePodesta suggested he was open to trading Heat for rotational help (link via Thomas Harding of MLB.com).
“I’ll stop short of naming a specific position group — I certainly have one in mind — but I do think there is some depth. What I need to do now is understand what the other 29 teams are thinking, and what players they are attracted to from our organization,” DePodesta said. “We have to be open-minded about that, and if we have to shift assets – move away a little bit from this area to strengthen another area – then we will have to do that.”
Harding writes that trading an outfielder could be a way to add pitching. Midfielder Brenton Doyle regressed offensively, hitting .233/.274/.376 over 538 plate appearances. However, he is a defensive outfielder and teams would certainly be interested in his four remaining years of arbitration control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Doyle at a salary of $3.2 million as a Super Two player.
Mickey Moniac had terrible defensive qualities but is coming off the end of a career season at the plate. He hit 24 home runs while hitting .270/.306/.518 in 461 trips. He is projected at $4.2 million and is controllable for two seasons. Most teams probably view him as a fourth outfielder, but he has shown some of the offensive promise that made him the first overall pick nine years ago.
Tyler Vrijman has good bat-to-ball skills, speed and some defensive versatility. He could be a useful utility player. None of them Jordan Beck, Yanquiel Fernandez or Zac Veen have been good MLB players to date, but they all had potential pedigree and stayed in their pre-arbitration seasons. They would have a modest trade value, but could have some fans in the scouting departments of other clubs.
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