Recapping Rockies Five Worst Transactions During Terrible 2025 Season

The Colorado Rockies had the worst season in franchise history and some of the moves they made contributed directly to it.

A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The 2025 Colorado Rockies will not be remembered fondly. The team lost 119 games and lost at least 100 games for the third straight season. The manager was fired, the general manager stepped aside, and ownership is charting a new direction.

It was a rough season overall. A lot didn’t go right, even the moves the Rockies made in the hopes to boost the season. Some moves just flat out didn’t work.

Here is a review of five of the worst moves that the Rockies made for the 2025 season.

Promoting Chase Dollander

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Rockies selected Dollander in the first round in the 2023 MLB draft out of Tennessee, where he helped the Vols win a national championship. He was going to make the rotation at some point. Sometimes a player can look ready on paper and not be ready. This appeared to be the case with Dollander.

He went 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 23 games for the Rockies in the minors in 2024. He struck out 169 and walked 47. Colorado started him in the minors and then selected his contract shortly after the 2025 season started. It didn’t go well.

He went 2-12 with a 6.52 EAR in 21 starts, which saw him miss time twice due to injuries, the latter of which led to a season-ending left patella tendon strain. He struck out 82 and walked 49. Batters hit .270 against him.

It may not have been in his best interest to throw him in the fire in 2025. Only time will tell if it stunted his growth as a pitcher.

Signing Thairo Estrada

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Some of this isn’t on Estrada or the Rockies. He spent much of the season on the injured list. He had a wrist fracture, a sprained left thumb and a right hamstring strain. He was limited to 39 games. But Colorado knew that going in. Estrada has played parts of seven MLB seasons. Parts is noted because he’s only played in more than 100 games twice in his career.

When he DID play? He slashed .253/.285/.370 with three home runs and 21 RBI. He got $4 million from the Rockies. Now both sides must decide if they want to trigger his $7 million mutual option. With a guarantee he could play 140 games, that might work. Short of that? Not a good move.

Not Promoting Warming Bernabel Sooner

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

It took the Rockies trading Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees to finally promote Warming Bernabel from Triple-A Albuquerque. One could argue it should have happened sooner.

With Albuquerque he slashed .301/.356/.450 with an .806 OPS in 75 games with eight home runs and 45 RBI before his contract was selected on July 26. His bat translated nicely to the Majors. He slashed .252/.288/.410 with a .698 OPS, including four home runs and 14 RBI. He’s versatile enough to play either corner infield position. The Rockies probably erred by not calling him up sooner to help them at first base after Michael Toglia’s slump.

Signing Orlando Arcia

James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

On paper, it wasn’t a bad thought to sign Arcia to a one-year deal after the Atlanta Braves outrighted the 31-year-old shortstop. After all, Colorado needed the depth. But there was a reason why Atlanta was fine with parting ways. Arcia is not the player he was a few years ago.

In 62 games with the Rockies, he slashed .203/.242/.302 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He also missed time with right elbow inflammation. His spot understandably could have gone to a minor league option that would have made better use of the playing time.

Firing Bud Black

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Yes, he was going to go at some point. But what did firing him in May really accomplish? The Rockies were 7-33 before he was fired. His replacement, Warren Schaeffer should be praised for helping the team avoid history. But the team still lost 119 games, Schaeffer went 36-86 and Colorado would have lost 100 games for the third straight season regardless of the manager.

Black was the fall guy for the franchise’s complete ineptitude in putting together a winning team. He got them to the playoffs in each of his first two years, but the franchise has been a mess since. If there was a time to fire him it would have been after the 2023 season, the team’s first 100-loss campaign. Instead, he was fired nearly two years later.

Yes, the Rockies needed a change. But it wouldn’t have mattered if that change happened in May or October. Whatever the intended effect of firing Black was, it didn’t work.

Recommended Articles

feed