The Toughest Contract Decision Facing the Rockies This Offseason

The Colorado Rockies have plenty of difficult roster decisions ahead during this offseason.

One of the more interesting ones will be with a pitcher who really isn’t slated to go anywhere unless the team decides they no longer want him.

Ryan Feltner remains under team control and is eligible for salary arbitration. He earned $2.45 million in 2026, and the team can bring him back in 2027 by tendering him a contract. After a relatively inconsistent season, bringing him back isn’t a guarantee and certainly isn’t an easy decision.

Feltner finished the year 7-10 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over 123.1 innings. He started 22 of his 26 appearances, and in those, he struck out 92 batters.

Those kinds of stats would have to make Colorado really evaluate the contract.

Is Feltner still worth another investment, or would president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta be better off using that roster spot with someone else while trying to rebuild one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball?

Ryan Feltner’s Numbers Make the Decision Difficult

Colorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Feltner has provided some flashes of a pitcher capable of being a Major League starter.

His best season came in 2024 when he made 30 starts and posted a 4.49 ERA across 162.1 innings. Injuries took over in 2025 and limited him to just six appearances.

The Rockies took a chance and brought him back for $2.45 million in 2026 hoping that he could regain his form and reclaim his spot in the rotation.

That isn’t what happened.

Feltner will turn 30 during the 2027 season, which rules out the view that he is a developing prospect who just needs more time. The time is now.

Moving on isn’t really that simple either.

Colorado needs pitching in the worst way.

Kyle Freeland, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano are at the end of their contracts. Chase Dollander is working his way back from elbow surgery.

The need was already established before the season was over that the team needed starting pitching. I mean, let’s be realistic: this team has needed starting pitching for a long time now.

Removing Feltner from the equation could be the right move if they can secure more proven innings from someone else.

Rockies May Have Different Role for Feltner

On the flip side of just letting him go, Colorado made a move late in the season that may turn out to be an affordable answer.

Feltner was moved to the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever in the final weeks of the season.

He responded well.

Feltner threw five scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres on September 15 in a reliever role. He followed that by allowing one run over three innings in the Seattle Mariners matchup.

He continued that successful move against the Chicago White Sox when he went 3.2 innings without an earned run.

To sum all of that up, he went 11.2 innings and only allowed one run as a reliever.

Maybe that’s where he needs to be. Sure, it is a very small sample size, but it was successful, even if short.

The versatility that he could add might be a game changer and keep him on the team.

There’s no doubt he would prefer to be a starter, but serving as a reliever may be the way the team finds enough value to give him another chance.

Rockies Have to Decide Feltner’s Worth

DePodesta has a tough decision ahead. Well, he has a lot of them, actually.

This one is just complicated.

Feltner is relatively inexpensive by Major League standards, but arbitration usually means an increase in salary. Colorado has to decide what the number is that makes sense.

The pitching staff needs to be revamped. DePodesta can’t afford to keep the status quo.

Feltner’s numbers argue for moving on, and Colorado’s desperate need for pitching provides an argument for keeping him.

His late-season versatile performance may have added another layer to the already complicated situation.

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