The historically bad 2025 Colorado Rockies look very different than they did back on March 28 when the season began in a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row felt it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we run in March as a season preview. Let’s face it: This season is historic (in a bad way) for the Rockies, and the team has changed substantially since May 11 when Bud Black was removed as from his position as manager.

We felt like mid-season was a good time to re-visit where the Rockies are now, how they’re different with interim manager Warren Schaeffer, and if it’s possible to get a sense of where the team may be headed next.

We’ve also asked authors of the spring pieces to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the trade deadline.

(All numbers are current as of July 10, 2025.)

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What I said in March

Not much has changed in terms of the Rockies third base situation. This is what I wrote then:

The Colorado Rockies have a tradition of solid third basemen with All-Star and multi-Gold-Glove finalist Ryan McMahon the most recent iteration.

That McMahon will be the Rockies’ primary third baseman in 2025 is a given, and fans have a good sense of the player McMahon is.

After that, the picture becomes more interesting, if less certain.

In adding Orlando Arcia, the Rockies brought in some depth, but the real question is this: What will the Rockies do if they trade Ryan McMahon?

The immediate possibilities are not promising.

Where the Rockies are now
The starter

On July 8, Ryan McMahon played his 1000th game for the Rockies:

He is only the ninth Rockie to reach this milestone.

His career with the Rockies has been remarkably consistent: elite defense, streaky hitting with occasional power, and durability. McMahon has avoided significant injury and been a true everyday player.

So far in 2025, he’s slashing .210/.310/.373 with an OPS+ of 84. He’s hit 12 home runs.

Still, his inconsistencies at the plate continue. He is fourth in terms of K% (32.4% though it’s notable that Michael Toglia leads all of baseball in this category). Then again, he’s 24th in BB% (12.5%). He’s better at hitting righties than he is lefties, and he’s better at Coors Field than he is on the road. And to illustrate the streakiness, he was terrible in April; very good in May; good in June; and absolutely miserable so far in July.

The defense, however, remains elite. (Currently, he has 4 DRS, and there is every reason to believe he will repeat as a Gold Glove finalist.)

The big question surrounding McMahon is if he will be traded, and this year, the Rockies are not quelling rumors that they are willing to move him. For example, the New York Yankees are reported to have shown interest.

If McMahon is traded, the Rockies will, for the first time since Nolan Arenado’s emergence, not have a strong defender at the hot corner. His absence would also mean the loss of an important clubhouse presence and significant institutional memory. (Soon, no players from the 2017-2018 Rocktober years will remain.)

Should McMahon remain a Rockie, the future is very clear: More of the same.

Should he be traded, a number of questions arise.

The backup

Here the Rockies have two clear options: Kyle Farmer and Orlando Arcia. (It’s not unreasonable to assume that the Rockies signed Arcia in preparation for a McMahon trade.)

The problem is that neither player is especially effective at third.

So far this season, Kyle Farmer has spent 11.0 innings at third base where he has a DRS of 0. Offensively, he’s slashed .217/.261/.333 with three home runs and a 51 wRC+. Moreover, at 34, Farmer as an everyday third baseman seems unlikely. Should McMahon leave the Rockies, the chances are remote that Farmer would take his place.

As for Orlando Arcia, he’s spent 36 innings at third since joining the Rockies and has -1 DRS. In terms of his offense, Arcia is slashing .193/.235/.284 with a wRC+ of 34. He’s hit two home runs.

So, meh.

A third option is Aaron Schunk, the utility player who has never stuck with the big-league club. In 2025, Schunk has 291.1 innings at third for the Albuquerque Isotopes and 14.0 innings with the Rockies. He has struggled offensively, slashing .260/.300/.441 with the Isotopes and .214/.214/.250 with the Rockies.

In the event that McMahon is traded, the most likely scenario is that to finish the season, Arcia would become the starting third baseman with Schunk (and perhaps occasionally Kyle Farmer) providing relief.

But the Rockies would be a significantly diminished team without McMahon.

Depth options

There’s one notable standout — Kyle Karros (No. 12 PuRP), and more on him in a minute — but when it comes to potential third basemen, the Rockies’ cupboard is pretty bare.

Triple-A Albuquerque

Assuming Schunk would be promoted in the event of a McMahon trade, that would leave two options, Julio Carreras and Warming Bernabel (who profiles better as a utility player).

Julio Carreras — In 150 at-bats, he’s slashing .280/.353/.373 with one home run.
Warming Bernabel — In 252 at-bats, he’s slashing .321/.379/.484 with eight home runs.

Is it possible the Rockies would try either of these players? Sure, but they have not yet generated the kind of buzz that precedes that kind of promotion.

Is there a possibility of trying Ryan Ritter at third? Again, sure, but the Rockies have not shown an interest in doing that yet. He’s probably more likely to become a second baseman to team up with Ezequiel Tovar.

TLDR: Not a lot stands out in Albuquerque.

Double-A Hartford

Here’s where things get interesting.

Clearly, the Rockies view Kyle Karros as the third baseman of the future — and it’s easy to see why. Although he missed part of the Yard Goats’ season with an injury, he’s had 191 at-bats and is slashing .319/.428/.492 with an OPS of .925. He’s also hit four home runs.

Might the Rockies consider promoting Karros to Colorado in the event of a McMahon trade?

Perhaps.

But if that option is on the table, he would probably need to be promoted to ABQ immediately to get some time there before joining the Rockies.

There’s also another question: Are the Rockies attempting to build their new “core” in Hartford? That would be Karros, Cole Carrigg, Charlie Condon, and Jared Thomas. At Rockies Fest, Clint Hurdle commented in a prospects panel that the Rockies had kept Karros in Spokane last season to help lead that team to a championship rather than promoting him to Hartford, what Karros had clearly wanted.

If that’s the case, if the Rockies are putting together that core group in Hartford, promoting Karros early would be a mistake. The 2025 Rockies are already a wash. Karros’ time is better spent preparing him for the future and allowing Arcia and Schunk to finish the season with the Rockies.

High-A Spokane

Three names stand out here.

Skyler Messinger — In 296 at-bats, he’s slashing .243/.302/.375 with eight homers.
Blake Wright — In 334 at-bats, he’s slashing .303/.372/.380 with three homers. (He was promoted from Fresno during the season.)
Braylen Wimmer — In 324 at-bats, he’s slashing .302/.373/.502 with 13 homers.

It’s worth noting that Wimmer has played a decent mix of second base and the outfield in addition to third base.

Low-A Fresno

Two names stand out on the Grizzlies’ roster.

Francisco Garcia — In 128 at-bats, he’s slashing .156/.206/.242 with two home runs.
Kelvin Hidalgo — In 303 at-bats, he’s slashing .248/.310/.353 with four home runs.

Closing thoughts

Could the Colorado Rockies possibly be worse than they already are?

The answer is “Yes,” especially if they trade Ryan McMahon. The defense will deteriorate further, and they will lose his offensive contributions. No one in the Rockies system is prepared to replace McMahon.

One thing that has become clear in writing this series of “State of the Position” articles is that the Rockies system lacks any significant infield depth, and third base provides another example of that. The Rockies’ proclivity for “free agent garage sale shopping” won’t address this problem in the farm system.

Using the upcoming trade deadline is one way the organization can begin to truly rebuild itself, but there’s little evidence at this point that the Rockies front office fully grasps how dire their situation is.

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