This week is all about the MLB General Managers Meeting in Las Vegas. While it’s probably safe to assume there won’t be much action in terms of signings and trades, overall the GM meeting is a space to set the stage for what will follow this offseason.
Think of it as getting to know someone before you ask them out.
For Colorado Rockies fans, however, these meetings will give them an early look at how Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, will approach rebuilding the front office and organization.
There will likely be plenty of tea leaves to read in the coming days, but we know DePodesta will meet with the media at least twice this week — once in Vegas and once at Coors Field — and he will also likely work to rekindle ties with the baseball community.
For Rockies fans, though, actions will speak louder than words, and the way DePodesta answers some questions will give an idea of his strategy moving forward. I have divided the questions into ‘Short term’, ‘Medium term’ and ‘Long term’ to keep things clear. We will know some answers very soon; others will take a while.
In addition, I’ve added some comments from Rockies beat writers who attended the GM meetings.
These are steps that DePodesta will have to make sooner or later.
Attending the GM meetings — How will that go? We’ll know soon enough.
Here’s a first look at his first presser with members of the Denver presser. (The video is courtesy of Kevin Henry.)
Determining who will be on the 40-man roster – The date for those decisions is November 18. Who will be added to the 40-person team? Certainly Gabriel Hughes (No. 11 PuRP) and Welinton Herrera (No. 21 PuRP), but what other prospects will DePodesta choose to protect?
Deciding on players to be offered a contract – November 21 is the deadline for teams to offer contracts to players. An immediate decision facing DePodesta is which players will be offered a contract. His choices will reveal a lot about his rebuilding approach.
In the meantime, these are players who should not receive a contract:
Selecting a general manager — Reports indicate that the DePodesta will hire a general manager ahead of the Winter Meetings, which will take place in Orlando from December 7 to 10. In large part, he will have to make that decision quickly to allow the new addition to orient himself to the Rockies and his approach as a PBO.
Choosing a manager and technical staff — Will Warren Schaeffer return? Who will be on the technical staff? These are also decisions that need to be made quickly, both to give the players direction and to prepare for spring training (which will be here before we know it).
Yesterday, Patrick Saunders provided these updates:
Later Saunders added this:
Rule 5 Make draft selections — The Rule 5 Draft takes place on December 10. Will DePodesta choose to rebuild the Rockies using players from other teams that remain unprotected? Again, his decisions here will give an idea of his approach to these issues.
These are moves DePodesta will have to make as he prepares to field a team in 2026, so let’s consider these decisions being made before the start of spring training.
Determining Who Will Play for the Rockies in 2026 – For this, DePodesta will have to decide which players will remain in the organization.
Deciding if current Rockies are trade candidates – If you’ve been reading our ongoing (never-ending?) series “Ranking the Rockies,” you know the cupboard is pretty bare. However, it strikes me that there are two trade candidates to keep an eye on: Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar. Should DePodesta choose to move any of these players, it will be notable (and very different from the Rockies we know).
Signing Free Agents — I don’t expect the Rockies to be active on the free agent market. However, I do think they will probably sign one or two cheap players. (Look, someone has to play for the Rockies in 2026.) These signings will reveal something about the plan moving forward.
Filling out the minor league coaching staff – Among other decisions, DePodesta will have to determine changes to coaches in the Rockies’ farm systems. Will he undertake a major overhaul? Will some stay in place? We’ll know soon enough.
Start building player analytics and development systems — This probably belongs in the next category, but I expect DePodesta to make some moves on this front prior to spring training. (Whether these decisions will be made public is a separate matter.)
Here’s where things become less certain, but these are overhaul choices DePodesta will have to make if he implements a true rebuild. He will need additional staff, and building a better player development system will take time.
Additionally, the Rockies will have to start thinking about the 2026 MLB Draft. Since Bill Schmidt is no longer with the Rockies, some rebuilding will be needed there as well.
These are investments that will take some time, and only time will tell how the answers to these decisions will play out.
Congratulations go out to Rockies great Jorge De La Rosa, who was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame.
“I pitched for a lot of teams, but when they asked me, ‘What jersey do you want to wear going in?’ I immediately said Rockies,” De La Rosa said. “That is the team I love and I always thank them for the opportunities they have given me.”
Introducing Paul DePodesta, Rockies’ new president of baseball operations: ‘I’m a bit of a sucker for a challenge’ | Denver Gazette
Last night, the Rockies’ new PBO spoke to reporters from Denver. Here’s what Kevin Henry learned.
Ranking of the 10 Most Untradeable Contracts in Baseball | AlBat
Ismael Hernández de Dios made a list. Yes, Kris Bryant is on it, but before you read, guess where his contract falls.
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