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

Rockies Should Explore Signing This Veteran Starter to Backstop Rotation

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 10:00 AM ET

With Germán Márquez a free agent this offseason, the Colorado Rockies will likely be looking for a veteran arm to backstop their rotation.

Colorado has Kyle Freeland, Chase Dollander and Tanner Gordon as the top returning starters. The Rockies can also lean into McCade Brown, a late call-up from Double-A, and any number of minor league pitchers they’re developing that could be ready for a call-up.

Without a new general manager, it’s hard to know the direction that Colorado will go. But a veteran that can eat innings is always an asset, especially when the comes on the cheap.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked its Top 50 free agents and deep in the rankings was a name that should interest Colorado, no matter who the GM turns out to be — right-hander Adrian Houser.

Why Pursue Adrian Houser?

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The 32-year-old resurrected his reputation in 2025. Signed to a minor-league deal by the Texas Rangers, he failed to make the opening day roster and became a free agent in May so he could sign with the Chicago White Sox. He found something with the Sox, going 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts, with 47 strikeouts and 22 walks in 68.2 innings.

The White Sox traded him in July to Tampa Bay, where his numbers did take a turn — 2-3 with a 4.79 ERA. But he proved that he could be a fourth or fifth starter in any rotation for the 2026 season. He finished 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts, with 92 strikeouts and 38 walks in 125 innings. It was his best season since going 10-6 with Milwaukee in 2021.

There are a couple of reasons why the Rockies should be interested. First, it’s his pitch make-up. He’s a sinkerball pitcher. He used that pitch 46% of the time in 2025, per Baseball Savant, and topped out at 94.4 mph. He has a slider, a change-up, a four-seam fastball and a curveball, and he uses each about 12-15% of the time. That four-seam can hit 95.2 mph. But that sinker is his bread-and-butter pitch, and it can be tough to hit.

The other reason goes along with that pitch. Houser has a solid reputation as a ground ball pitcher, something that would play well at Coors Field. In 2025 his ground ball rate was 48.9%, which was in the 79th percentile in baseball. When possible, Colorado should gravitate toward those types of pitchers in free agency.

Aside from those benefits, The Athletic projected that Houser would likely get a one-year deal worth $4 million. That’s music to a new general manager’s ears — once he’s finally hired. Houser is a pitcher worth pursuing this offseason for Colorado.

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

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