When it comes to roster construction for the Colorado Rockies under first-year president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, just about everything should be on the table. Coming off a 119-loss season, all options should be available.
Just how much money they are willing to spend will be the big question. They are not going to break the bank on the bigger-name free agents, but they could make some low-risk, high-reward signings, whether it’s with pitching or position players.
One position that the Rockies could use a veteran for is at first base. There are several options in free agency, but getting a lot of them to come to Denver might be the hardest thing to do. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed the perfect free agent match for all teams. His choice for Colorado is a National League West veteran in Luis Arraez.
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Arraez is coming off a 2025 season where he had his lowest batting average, OPS, and OPS+ of his career. He slashed .292/.327/.392 with eight home runs and 61 RBIs. He did that in 154 games for the San Diego Padres. His OPS was .719, and his OPS+ was 99. What made his season even more bizarre was that he led the National League in hits with 181 and had a 3.5 strikeout rate.
“The Rockies had the highest strikeout rate and lowest OPS of any team in the Majors, not to mention an opening at first base. Quirky stat: Arraez has never struck out in 53 career plate appearances at Coors Field,” Feinsand wrote.
Arraez does have great bat control, but he has never been a big home run hitter. Playing at Coors Field, you would think that his home run numbers would go up. He was 11-for-15 in stolen bases, something that won’t open a lot of eyes, but he would be a good top-of-the-order bat for manager Warren Schaeffer.
In seven seasons, Arraez had finished above .300 five times with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, and Padres with his batting average. The Rockies had an inexperienced lineup in 2025, and it showed. Adding a bat like Arraez would begin to change the dynamic and give them the much-needed veteran bat.
Will DePodesta give out long-term or short-term deals? That will depend on how much he spends and how he goes about building his roster for 2026 and beyond. There are going to be several veteran bats available, and it feels like now is the time for the Rockies to make a move to add some key pieces for next season.