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Rockies Reportedly Lurking for Another Starting Pitcher

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Scott Roche | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 6:00 PM ET

Pitchers and catchers are getting set for their first workouts this week for the 2026 MLB season in spring training. The offseason for the Colorado Rockies under the first-year president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, has been one with some additions that are pieces to fill out the roster and hope for some luck to flip some players at the trade deadline in early August.

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DePodesta has made some free agent signings, including veteran pitcher Michael Lorenzen. He is being brought in to likely slot in as a No. 2 behind Rockies veteran Kyle Freeland. The rest of the rotation is a question mark and could use an addition. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Colorado is reportedly poking around looking for a veteran starting pitcher.

Rockies Reportedly Looking for Starting Pitching for 2026

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After Freeland and Lorenzen, there are questions as to how the rest of manager Warren Schaeffer's rotation will round out. Currently projected by MLB.com, the Rockies' final three starters are predicted to be Ryan Feltner, Chase Dollander and Tanner Gordon. There are other young internal options, but you can see why DePodesta might be kicking around for another starter.

Cotillo mentioned Patrick Sandoval of the Boston Red Sox, potentially being an option that Colorado could acquire and maybe flip at the trade deadline. The asking price from Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow would determine if a deal would get done. Boston and Colorado have already made one trade this offseason, with Brennan Bernardino going from the Red Sox to the Rockies in November.

Boston certainly has a surplus of pitching that they could unload and it is unlikely that the Rockies would be in the running for either of their younger arms, left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Someone like Sandoval would make sense.

As far as the free agent market goes, some names are still available, such as Zac Gallen, Zack Littell, Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito. They would be too pricey for what DePodesta is looking for at this time for a team in a full rebuild.

There are some veteran free agent pitchers still remaining that could be options in free agency for DePodesta and he'll likely kick the tires with teams like the Red Sox, who have a lot of pitching they could move. Another veteran arm with Freeland and Lorenzen makes sense; it will just come down to the price for a free agent or a trade that has the right package for DePodesta to meet.