The Colorado Rockies have been stuck in mediocrity ever since Nolan Arenado was traded. Colorado's rebuild hasn't gone according to plan and they need to begin making moves. The team made the head-scratching decision to sign Kris Bryant prior to the 2022 campaign despite being in the middle of a rebuild. The move hasn't really panned out with Bryant missing a significant amount of time due to injury.
However, Colorado doesn't have many players left to trade for prospects. Their roster is questionable at best, at least in terms of big league talent. Perhaps the Rockies could take a similar approach to the Texas Rangers and go all in on starting pitching, an area where the Rockies have seemingly never found much success. Adding one more bat to build around also wouldn't hurt.
Without further ado, let's take a look at four Rockies' early free agent targets for the 2023-24 MLB offseason.
*Stats via Baseball Reference.
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is in the midst of a resurgent season. After previously winning an MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger struggled in 2021 and 2022 with LA. The Dodgers released Bellinger which led to the Chicago Cubs signing him to a one-year contract. Bellinger was reportedly looking for a one-year deal so he could prove he's worth a lucrative, long-term contract.
That is exactly what he's done in Chicago.
Through 107 games played, Bellinger has slashed .320/.363/.549 with a .912 OPS. Bellinger's also crushed 23 home runs and stolen 19 bases. Any team would love to sign a 20-20 player who owns a .900-plus OPS.
There are other veteran bats in free agency the Rockies could consider, but Bellinger makes sense because of his age. He turned 28-years old in July and is in the middle of his prime. The Rockies could sign him to a multi-year deal and keep him the middle of the lineup for years to come. Additionally, Bellinger plays an impressive centerfield, something that's especially important at the large outfield at Coors Field.
There is some risk in signing Bellinger due to his previous injury history. Given his age and ceiling though, the Rockies would benefit from taking a chance on him.
Lucas Giolito
Lucas Giolito has endured a rollercoaster 2023 season. He began the campaign pitching for the Chicago White Sox and performed well. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels and struggled mightily. Giolito was later placed on waivers and claimed by the Cleveland Guardians amid the Angels-post trade deadline struggles.
Although Giolito hasn't pitched well during the second half of the season, he's still only 29-years old and could anchor a pitching staff. The Rockies desperately need pitching and could make Giolito their ace.
When Giolito is at his best, he's a mid-threes ERA pitcher who records plenty of strikeouts. It goes without saying, but pitching at Coors Field tends to be a challenge for pitchers due to the elevation. However, Giolito may welcome the chance to be a true ace of a rotation and help Colorado's rebuild.
Michael Lorenzen
Michael Lorenzen is another starting pitcher who's interesting. He had previously pitched in a hybrid role, spending time as a reliever and starter. He's become a full-time starter over the past two years though. In 2023, Lorenzen has flashed signs of star potential, even representing the Detroit Tigers in the All-Star Game before getting traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He also threw a no-hitter with Philadelphia.
Lorenzen is already 31-years old. That isn't too old by any means, however. He could still play a pivotal role in the Rockies' rotation over the next few years.
Overall, Lorenzen owns a 3.73 ERA in 2023. One reason Lorenzen may find success in Colorado is that he's keeping his line drive rate against down this season. In fact, he's allowing hitters to record line drives just 19.6 percent of the time which is a career-low for him. Lorenzen's fly ball rate is up, so he will need to limit fly balls if he goes to Colorado given the elevation.
Still, Lorenzen profiles as a decent fit for the Rockies.
Tyler Mahle
Finally, adding one more starting pitcher makes sense for Colorado. It may be easy to say there's no chance of this happening, but the Rangers added no shortage of starting pitchers in free agency and are now fighting for an AL West title. However, the fact is that the Rockies aren't going to contend in 2024. That's why signing Tyler Mahle, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2023, makes sense.
Mahle, 28, likely won't return until around the All-Star break in 2024. Pitchers are finding ways to return from the surgery and be effective though. Taking a chance on Mahle, who won't receive much interest due to his injury, would lead to upside down the road for Colorado. He could factor into the 2025 rotation, which may include Giolito and Lorenzen along with other arms if Colorado follows this plan.
When healthy, Mahle is a solid pitcher. He started 2023 with a 3.16 ERA. He had lived in the mid-fours over the past few years, but also demonstrated superb strikeout ability.
Signing Mahle isn't a short-term fix, but could pay dividends at some point down the road.
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