Rockies Linked to Veteran Free Agent Infielder to Round Out 2026 Roster

This would be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Colorado.

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It has been a quiet offseason in terms of addressing the roster for the Colorado Rockies' newly hired president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta. It's not surprising that there have been few decisions made in free agency or through trades, as he was hired in early November after the offseason had started for all teams.

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Since being hired, he has hired Josh Byrnes as his general manager and removed the interim tag from manager Warren Schaeffer. As far as the roster goes, DePodesta has taken a deep dive into it, and he has not rushed into any decisions in terms of trading away some young talent.

The Rockies signed their first free agent of the winter last week when veteran right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen agreed to a deal. They have also brought in left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino from the Boston Red Sox.

There is still one glaring need for Colorado to fill out their roster for spring training, and that is a power-hitting corner infielder. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed one realistic option to fill each MLB team's remaining roster hole, and he had linked a veteran first baseman to the Mile High City.

Nathaniel Lowe Listed a Prime Candidate to Fill Out Rockies 2026 Roster

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Last season, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe played for both the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. He was designated for assignment by the Nationals and picked up by the Red Sox as insurance at first base. He is a free agent and a veteran type of player that Schaeffer could use in his clubhouse and in the lineup.

"The pool of players Colorado has been able to sign in recent years has pretty well been limited to guys hoping to prove on a one-year deal they are better than what they showed the previous season. And a prime candidate for the Rockies on that front is 1B Nathaniel Lowe. He was worth at least 2.0 bWAR in each season from 2021-24 before just barely registering as replacement level in 2025. Maybe a 30-HR campaign with home games at Coors Field will turn him back into a coveted asset for next offseason,'' Miller wrote.

Lowe slashed .228/.307/.381 combined between Washington and Boston in 2025 with 18 home runs and 84 RBIs. However, he had just two home runs and drove in 16 runs with the Red Sox in 34 games. He is four years removed from a career-high 27 home runs with the Texas Rangers, but as Miller stated, a 30-home run campaign playing a full season at Coors Field would not be out of the question for a player who has shown the ability to hit the long ball.

Colorado is not expected to contend in 2026 or even in the not-too-distant future, but bringing in a veteran like Lowe is a move that would make sense, and he could be a player who could be flipped at the deadline to a contender looking for a bat for the stretch run into September. That would be a win-win for the Rockies.

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