3 Starting Pitchers the Rockies Could Chase in Free Agency

Colorado will need some starting rotation arms through free agency this winter.

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The 2025 season was a historically bad one for the Colorado Rockies on multiple levels. Their starting pitchers were a big reason for the struggles the team had this past season, and there figures to be some changes this offseason.

Germán Márquez is someone who won't be back after a run with the Rockies, and he got emotional about the potential end of his time in the Mile High City at the end of the season. Kyle Freeland is expected back to anchor a rotation that will see some young arms make the jump to the rotation.

Despite young arms coming up, there is going to be a need for some free agent additions and some veteran ones. Just how much Colorado will be willing to spend this offseason is a big question, but here are three free agent starting pitchers the Rockies could pursue.

Dustin May

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One name that Colorado fans would be familiar with it's former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May. Traded to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline, the 28-year-old right-hander struggled in Boston and will not return. He was not the pitcher that the Red Sox thought they were getting, going 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA.

He had 23 starts combined with the Dodgers and Red Sox, going 7-11 with an ERA of 4.96. He fell out of the rotation and staff with the Dodgers' depth, and he was not able to turn around his season with the Red Sox. He has yet to really reach his potential with a big-market team, and maybe landing in a less pressure situation with the Rockies could help him turn things around.

Michael King

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Once seen as a key long-term piece to the New York Yankees, Michael King was part of the blockbuster trade in December of 2023 that sent Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres to the Yankees. King spent two years in San Diego, but is scheduled to hit free agency.

He was a starter and worked out of the bullpen in New York, but with the Padres this year, he went 5-3 in 15 starts with a 3.44 ERA in 73.1 innings. He had 76 strikeouts to just 26 walks and the 31-year-old still has good stuff. Out of all the options listed here, King is the least likely, but would be a nice addition behind Freeland in the rotation.

Lucas Giolito

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If there is one wild card this winter in the pitching free agent market, it's Lucas Giolito. He signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox after missing all of 2024, and he had a bounce-back season, to say the least. He went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA and struck out 121 in 145 innings pitched. On Monday, he declined his player option of $19 million to become a free agent.

Taking a chance on him would be risky, as he missed Boston's American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees with an elbow injury, but if he is healthy, he's certainly someone the Rockies could look to add to the rotation. A lot of teams might shy away from him, but if he can return to anywhere near his 2025 form, he would be a steal.

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