Colorado Rockies' New Faces Highlight Early Days of Spring Training

The Colorado Rockies hope that these new faces help the club begin the climb back to respectability in 2026.

New Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

When you're fresh off 119 losses and have dropped 323 games over the past three years, change is welcome.

For the Colorado Rockies this offseason, much of that change has come off the field. After the club and general manager Bill Schmidt mutually agreed to part ways in October, the organization underwent a front office overhaul that saw Paul DePodesta join the fold as president of baseball operations and Josh Byrnes as GM.

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DePodesta and Byrnes won't record a single hit or strikeout for the Rockies this season, but they are responsible for charting the future path for the franchise. In the short-term, that likely means more losing. However, Colorado's offseason additions should at least help make the team more competitive in 2026.

Here are the new faces who will help the Rockies take their first steps along the path back to respectability.

Michael Lorenzen

Curent Colorado Rockies and former Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen / William Liang-Imagn Images

Last season, Colorado had exactly one starting pitcher (Kyle Freeland) record 10 or more starts and manage to finish the year with a sub-6.33 ERA. It's no surprise, then, that upgrading the rotation was a focus this offseason.

Michael Lorenzen can't be expected to solve all the problems plaguing the Rockies' rotation, but he should help. The well-traveled 34-year-old is not an ace (although he did earn an All-Star nod in 2023), but he has been a steady, stabilizing presence. If he can do that in Colorado, his signing will make a difference.

Edouard Julien

Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

With talent needed everywhere, limited viable trade assets to offer and without the cache of being a desirable free agent destination, the Rockies will occasionally need to seek out reclamation project opportunities. Acquiring Edouard Julien and Pierson Ohl for minor leaguer Jace Kaminska and cash fits the description.

Julien fell out of favor with the Minnesota Twins over the past two seasons, struggling mightily at the plate after bursting onto the scene with a strong offensive showing in his 2023 rookie year. Julien is still only 26, so there is still time to rediscover a bat that helped him slash .263/.381/.839 back in 2023.

Tomoyuki Sugano

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

While Tomoyuki Sugano isn't necessarily a reclamation project, the 36-year-old Japanese right-hander represents the same type of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" philosophy that went into several of Colorado's offseason moves.

Debuting in MLB in 2025 after a long career in Japan, Sugano produced a very respectable 10-10 record with a 4.64 ERA as a starter with the Baltimore Orioles. But with the under-achieving Orioles looking for more in 2026, their additions of Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt left little room for Sugano. The Rockies are hoping that he can take another step forward now that he is adjusted to baseball in North America.

Willi Castro

Chicago Cubs utility man Willi Castro / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

What better way to address multiple positions of need all at once than to add a super utility player? Willi Castro has made a name for himself thanks to his positional versatility in the middle infield and the outfield. That versatility even extends to the plate, with the 28-year-old bringing value as a switch hitter.

Although Castro is better known for his glove than his bat, he has produced double digit home run totals in each of the past two seasons, including an All-Star campaign with Minnesota in 2024. If the Coors Field altitude can offer a bit of an offensive boost, then he could be a key asset on both sides of the diamond.

Jose Quintana

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The signing of Jose Quintana, coupled with the additions of fellow veteran pitchers Lorenzen and Sugano, indicates that DePodesta, Byrnes and the Rockies brass want more grown-ups in the room on the pitching side. While boasting young arms is great, the club is hoping that Quintana can help instill a level of poise and maturity in the room.

The 37-year-old also still happens to be a heck of a pitcher. Despite a declining ERA in each of the past four seasons, Quintana managed to pitch to a sub-4.00 ERA (3.96) while sporting an 11-7 record and earning a playoff start for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brennen Bernardino

BREAKING: Earlier tonight, the Rockies acquired LHP Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox on exchange for outfield prospect Braiden Ward. pic.twitter.com/sGp6cUCwwl

— Rockies Now (@Rockies_Now) November 19, 2025

Colorado's need for veteran pitching help extends into the bullpen, which is why they acquired lefty reliever Brennen Bernardino from the Boston Red Sox for minor leaguer Braiden Ward. The tough 34-year-old lefty saw his strikeout totals drop in 2025, but he was highly effective in pitching to soft contact and ended the year with a 3.14 ERA.

There may not be a true, bona fide star in the bunch, but the Rockies have filled out their roster with a group of capable veterans to pair with some of the organization's young players and prospects who are on the rise. It's not much, but it's at least a step towards respectability after a season that yielded 119 losses.

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