Colorado Rockies cap and glove in the dugout during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Rockies Infielder Declares Free Agency After Scant Playing Time in 2025

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 10:00 AM ET

With the Colorado Rockies looking for a new general manager, one can be excused for not keeping up with free agency. But it’s already started for the Rockies.

While Major League free agency doesn’t start until after the World Series ends, minor league players with Major League service time can start to explore the market under certain circumstances. These players must have more than one career outright remaining on their resume and/or at least three years of Major League service time. They must also have been outrighted from the team’s 40-man roster during the 2025 season and not added back to the MLB roster.

The Rockies have at least one qualified player that has declared for free agency in infielder Keston Hiura, per a list tracked by MLB Trade Rumors.

About Keston Hiura

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Hiura joined the Rockies in January on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. He didn’t make the team for opening day, but he was called up to Denver on May 31. On June 16, Colorado designated him for assignment. He then accepted the assignment back to Triple-A Albuquerque on June 18 and played out the rest of the season with the Isotopes.

In eight games with the Rockies, he slashed .222/.333/.278 with an RBI. With Albuquerque, he slashed .272/.369/.507 in 100 games, with 21 home runs and 67 RBI. The first baseman’s production at the minor league level didn’t translate to the Majors and he was overtaken late in the season by Blaine Crim, who was promoted in September and staked claim to the first base job in 2026.

Exploring free agency doesn’t rule out a return for Hiura. But he’ll have to beat out Crim, Michael Toglia and perhaps even highly touted prospect Charlie Condon, who can also play first base.

Hiura was a first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017 out of UC Irvine. He played for the U.S. collegiate team while in college and was named the Big West Player of the Year. By the 2019 season, he was considered the Brewers’ top overall prospect. He made his MLB debut later that season.

He had an impressive start with the Brewers in 2019 — a .303/.368/.570 slash with 19 home runs and 49 RBI. But, after that, his numbers dropped considerably at the plate. He hasn’t batted better than .226 in any season since 2019 and has played in just 18 MLB games since the start of the 2024 season. The other 10 were with the Los Angeles Angels.

This article first appeared on Colorado Rockies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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