Colorado Rockies news and links for Thursday, October 24, 2024
The World Series starts tomorrow!
It’s sure to be one of the most watched, most profitable, and (probably) most competitive Fall Classics in recent history.
We don’t care about that, though. We’re Rockies fans, and thus we’re much more focused on the weeks and months following the Series’ conclusion.
What do we do when there’s no baseball? We prepare and plan for next season! For those looking for information on what goes on during these cold, ball-less months, I’m here to break down what’s what as teams retool for the 2025 campaign.
Grab a calendar and a highlighter, and let’s talk about what’s to come this winter.
Five days after World Series ends, the free agency period begins
Whenever the Dodgers and Yankees get done clubbing each other and one of them has been crowned biggest spender World Series champion, teams will then have five days of exclusive negotiations with their pending free agents before they officially hit the open market.
The Rockies may use this time to attempt to retain the services of Dakota Hudson, Jake Cave, Daniel Bard, and Peter Lambert, though it’s unlikely they will be returning to Colorado. Once that five-day time frame ends, all will be free to sign with any team they’d like.
The Winter Meetings
Don’t let the cold name fool you: This is typically where the stove tends to heat up. The Winter Meetings, set to take place from December 9-12th, will see owners, general managers, players, agents, and more converge to discuss all aspects of baseball, both on the field and off it.
It’s here that free agent conversations and trade talks will intensify. Some of the game’s biggest blockbuster moves have happened during these conferences, like last year’s deal that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. That worked out pretty well for New York, huh?
Rockies General Manager Bill Schmidt will likely use this time to test the waters on potential trades and moves to set them up for next season. With the continued hope that they’ll be in contention next season, this will be a crucial step in getting the ball rolling on getting Colorado’s roster in order.
Rule 5 Draft
Some time during the Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 Draft will take place. This is, of course, an intriguing time for baseball fans as their team must make decisions on a) whether to protect players from draft eligibility to keep them from the prying eyes of other clubs, and b) whether to acquire a (in their opinion) Major-League-ready talent to add to their roster.
It was through this Draft that the Rockies acquired reliever Anthony Molina last season. In fact, Colorado has been on both ends of this Draft in recent seasons, bringing on talent such as Jordan Sheffield and Kevin Kelly (though he was immediately traded) and losing Mateo Gil and Isaac Collins to the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively.
Will they look to add any new faces? Which youngsters will they look to protect? For those looking for more information on this aspect of the offseason, my colleague Skyler Timmins wrote an in-depth breakdown of the Rule-5 Draft and Colorado’s place in it.
Arbitration in January
Speaking of roster construction, January is where the arbitration process begins, and the relationship between players and teams can be tested. The start of the year could see the Rockies try to move players moving toward free agency, such as Brendan Rodgers or Austin Gomber, and may force the team to make some hard decisions on what they deem is fair compensation for their arb-eligible players.
Since 2024’s proceedings were nice and easy, the hope is that 2025 will be just as simple. With Colorado seemingly planning to cut payroll next season, though, it will be interesting to see how the arbitration process plays out.
International signing period
Now wouldn’t this be fun?
January 15th is the beginning of the international signing period, a chance for teams to negotiate with stars from across the globe in hopes of enticing them to bring their services to the club.
With a bevy of exciting players looking to jump to MLB, the Rockies will be eager to acquire one of these prospects. Colorado’s front office has been dipping their collective toes into the international space more recently, and could continue that trend in ‘25 in hopes of finding the next Ezequiel Tovar.
For what it’s worth, I’m a big Shinnosuke Ogasawara guy. The impressive southpaw appears likely to be posted this winter, and while it’s doubtful that the Rockies will be able to out-bid teams like the Giants and Yankees, I’d love to see them be aggressive in their pursuit of a potential ace.
Rockies Fest 2025
It’s back! After a four-year break, Rockies Fest made its triumphant return last year, and it’s back again in 2025. January 25th is the date this time, and the event is advertised to include “player/coach autograph sessions, Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes fan experiences, Kids activities, Rockies Family Feud, Garage Sale and more.”
For those interested, it should be a fun way to connect with other fans and meet some of your favorite players. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Spring Training
Finally, after so much time away, baseball will return to our lives on February 20th, 2025.
This will again include Spring Breakout, which is a great opportunity for fans to catch some of the hottest up-and-coming stars. There’s also the annual intrigue of positional battles, which we here at Purple Row will cover in detail during our State of the Position series.
Meaningful baseball is a long ways away, but there’s plenty to look forward to in the interim.
Here’s to a fun and exciting offseason to keep the winter drearies away!
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Rockies named as top landing spot for Home Run Derby king | The Sporting News
Pete Alonso, a Rockie? Vinnie Portell of the Sporting News seems to think so, and he lays out why Colorado could be a new home for “the Polar Bear.”
Former Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon lists $4.3M Denver home | Fox 31
Oof, this makes it real. Chuck Nazty’s time in Colorado has ended, and if you’re interested, you can now take up residence in the home he spent his career in! Then again, if you’ve got that kind of cash lying around, maybe look into a minority ownership spot of the team?
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