Should Rockies Bring Back Underwhelming Offseason Signing Kyle Farmer in 2026?

The Colorado Rockies will have to decide if they want to pick up Kyle Farmer's mutual contract.

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The Colorado Rockies should have a busy offseason.

A reshaping of their front office is expected to take place, which will then create a potential search for a new skipper if the incoming regime wants to bring in someone besides current interim manager Warren Schaeffer.

If owner Dick Monfort does usher in a massive organizational change, it will be up to the new general manager to put together a free agency plan that will help improve this roster heading into the 2026 campaign after the Rockies had one of the worst seasons in history this year.

Before deciding how aggressive they want to be on the open market when it comes to adding players, Colorado has to figure out what they are going to do when it comes to some of their team and mutual options.

Rockies Can Pick Up Kyle Farmer's Mutual Option

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One of the players they have to decide on is Kyle Farmer, the veteran infielder they inked to a one-year, $2.5 million deal this paster winter with a mutual option for 2026 worth $4 million.

Considering he wasn't a standout by any means with a .230/.283/.369 slash line and OPS+ that was 28 points the league average of 100, he likely will opt into his side of the option. So it will be up to the Rockies to decide if they want to bring him back for 2026 or not.

Renee Dechert of Purple Row believes Colorado should pick up the option, keeping the nine-year MLB veteran on the team for another season. She highlighted his leadership aspect as the most important aspect he brings to the table.

"Ask any player in the Rockies clubhouse, especially the rookies, and they are clear in the importance of Farmer's place in the clubhouse. When Ryan McMahon was traded to the New York Yankees, Farmer's role became especially important in providing team leadership," Dechert stated.

Back ✌️ Back pic.twitter.com/61bTbvBdNs

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 13, 2025

Dechert went on to highlight some of the quotes that many players had about Farmer, which does show how highly he is viewed in the clubhouse. But is that enough for the Rockies -- who have been cash-conscious -- to keep him on the roster for $4 million?

If Colorado believes Farmer can play a key role in the development of the young players, then it would be a no-brainer to bring him back for that price even if he's not going to provide much at the plate when he does play.

A manager and coaching staff can only do so much when it comes to teaching young players how to go about their business as a Major League Baseball player, so having someone around like Farmer who can lead by example would be wise.

Picking up Farmer's option shouldn't be the only move the Rockies make this winter. They need a ton of help across the roster, especially when it comes to their pitching staff. But as they navigate this rebuild with tons of their former and current top prospects now on the big league team, they'll need a veteran player to lead the clubhouse now that Ryan McMahon is no longer in Colorado.

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