The Colorado Rockies and “He wants to be here” 2.0

It became a punchline for Colorado Rockies fans.

“That’s the main thing, he wants to be here and be part of the turnaround,” manager Bud Black said of Germán Márquez in 2023 when the RHP signed a two-year, $20 million deal.

Here’s Charlie Blackmon in 2023: “The Rockies want me to be here. Obviously, I want to be here.”

In October 2024 when campaigning for a contract extension, Black told Patrick Saunders, “I’m invested in this team and this organization and I want to be part of the solution to see this through.”

I could go on, but you get the idea. Organizational loyalty was a valued commodity.

Given that Dick Monfort was famous for being loyal to a fault, statements like these suggested fealty on the part of players and staff. This was probably, in part, an effort to ensure no more Arenado-esque defections — because if one thing became clear in 2020 and 2021, Nolan Arenado definitely did not want to be there.

Fans questioned what mattered most to the Rockies as they continued to promote from within and sign marginal free agents: baseball talent and winning or a commitment to the Rockies at all costs?

The Rockies needed three consecutive 100-loss seasons to make significant changes, but the rebuild began in earnest last November with the hiring of president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes.

Here’s the interesting thing: “He wants to be here” is back, but it has a different meaning for DePodesta et al.

Warren Schaeffer speaks at Rockies Fest

This time, wanting to be in Denver isn’t about loyalty or comfort: It’s about embracing challenge and being uncomfortable.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to speak with pitching coach Alon Leichman. When I asked why he signed on to solve one of the most perplexing problems in baseball, he said, “I think in baseball, especially in the pitching world, you have kind of two schools of thought: either stay away from Denver, or you want the challenge. So I’m when an opportunity was given to me, I definitely wanted to run with it and see what we could do.”

The Rockies are clear that they want players and staff in the latter category, those who want to be here and embrace the challenge.

Consider, DePodesta’s comments on Michael Lorenzen signing with the Rockies:

“He ran toward this challenge. Michael actively wanted to pitch here. He’s done a lot of different things in his career – he was an outfielder, he’s been a reliever, he’s been a starting pitcher. I don’t think he’s afraid of anything. He’s also got some history with some of our staff members, so I think there was some appeal there as well.”

Lorenzen has said the same thing:

“It feels like there’s a lot of new information to be learned, and that’s kind of right up my alley. I enjoy problem solving. Failure is going to happen; trials are going to happen; you’re going to get your teeth kicked in. But it’s the problem solving and how to make the adjustments that I really enjoy. And Colorado, I feel like, presents that opportunity.”

Here’s what Josh Byrnes, who left the best organization in baseball to join the Rockies, said when asked what made him decide to come to Denver:

The challenge. I think it’s a great challenge. I loved every day with the Dodgers. I mean, part of it, even leaving the Dodgers is like, never complacent about anything, always pushing, pushing, pushing, to be the best version of the Dodgers. So I think it’s totally different here, right? 119 losses. Altitude. There’s a lot, and never going to be that kind of payroll. So it’s going to be a different puzzle, but very exciting: working with Paul again; knowing a lot of people in the organization; knowing the city. So if I were to leave the Dodgers, it had to be like the right people and the right challenge. You know, it wasn’t an easy decision, but I think I’m very glad I did it, and I can feel the challenge.

I want to quote one more player, this time Hunter Goodman:

Last year, we had a super young team — me included. And I think we had a lot of guys, at least from watching games or being in the clubhouse, I think we had a lot of people that were happy to be here.

When I first got called up, it’s like, you’re just happy to be here, and you can’t play like that.

You’ve got to walk on the field and be like, “We’re the best team. I’m the best player on the field.” You got to walk on the field with a different level of confidence.

And I think there were some series and some games last year where you’re walking onto the field as a team looking around, and maybe guys aren’t super confident. Guys aren’t. They’re just happy to be there. So I think bringing a different mentality to the game would be a big step in the right direction.

If a player is “just happy to be there,” then taking on a challenge doesn’t really enter the equation.

And that’s where “He wants to be here” 2.0 comes in.

DePodesta, Byrnes, and Leichman are building a staff and a team that invites problem solving. In other words, this year, it’s not enough to be happy to be there: A player has to embrace the challenge.

In an early morning Rockies Fest panel with season ticket holders, Byrnes stressed that they were looking for players with “curiosity” and “problem solving” skills, the kinds of skills that help players embrace, and not avoid, challenges. In other words, on-field skills aren’t enough. There’s an attitudinal component as well.

And, just to be clear, this attitude isn’t just about players. Every member of DePodesta’s staff I spoke with wanted the challenge. DePodesta has built a team of young and innovative minds willing to model for players the kind of experimentation, tenacity, and courage they will need for a successful rebuild.

After all, a rebuild isn’t just about players; rather, it’s redoing the philosophy and infrastructure of an entire organization.

DePodesta has his staff, a philosophy, and a plan. In a couple of weeks, we can start watching the implementation.

In new role within Rockies’ revamped front office, Monfort knows much work remains | MLB.com

Last week, Thomas Harding spoke with Walker Monfort about all the changes underway throughout the Rockies organization.

Every MLB team’s top prospect at each position in 2026 | Bleacher Report

Joel Reuter provides a look at what may be the Rockies’ future roster.

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The Colorado Rockies and “He wants to be here” 2.0

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