When Rockies spring training opens in Scottsdale next week, all the offseason efforts made by Colorado’s ownership and front office to revamp the roster will be on full display.
Coming off a 119-loss season, the Rockies will certainly have a different look when pitchers and catchers have their first workout at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 12. Among those on the field that day will be starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen, signed as a free agent this offseason and expected to be a front-of-the-rotation mainstay in 2026, as well as reliever RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8, 300-pound right-hander taken in the Rule 5 draft from the Detroit Tigers, who will stand out from the crowd as the battle for bullpen spots begins.
On Feb. 17, the Rockies will hold their first full squad workout under manager Warren Schaeffer, who promises changes to how Colorado players prepare for the season ahead.
“Spring training will look completely different scheduling-wise, where we spend our time, what we spend our time on,” Schaeffer said in a media gathering just before the recent Rockies Fest. “It’ll look clearly different to the players, which is what matters, with a huge focus on winning.”
So what storylines should Rockies fans be following in the early stages of spring training? Here are three that stand out.
Who gets the edge at first base?
Blaine Crim made 14 starts last season at first base for the Rockies, all coming after Sept. 12. After being selected off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Aug. 3, Crim became the focal point at first base after an injury to Warming Bernabel and Michael Toglia’s inability to avoid strikeouts.
Crim returns this year, but he is the only one of eight players who spent time at first base in 2025 to be back in 2026. Now he will compete with plenty of new faces for time at the position.
Among them are Troy Johnston, selected off waivers from the Miami Marlins in November. He posted a 107 OPS+ (league average is 100) last season in 112 at-bats with Miami while spending time in the outfield as well as first base. Batting left-handed, Johnston and Crim ( a right-hander) could potentially form an interesting platoon at the position.
Edouard Julien, picked up in a late January trade with the Minnesota Twins, started 21 games at first base last season, so he’s an option as well.
Additionally, Charlie Condon, Colorado’s second-ranked prospect, will be a spring participant and will get his opportunities to shine at first base as well. While indications are that Condon will be given a chance to win the job in the spring, it’s likely he will start the season in the minors and perhaps make his MLB debut later in the season.
Who will get playing time in the outfield?
While Colorado has options at first base, there are an infinite number of possibilities in the outfield as well.
The additions of Johnston, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro this offseason add to a crowded pool of outfielders that already included MLB mainstays Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak. Throw in prospects Zac Veen and Sterlin Thompson, and there won’t be enough innings for everyone.
After spending 17 games at second base last season, Freeman could spend more time there in 2026, but that could also be a position where Castro and Julien make a mark, creating a logjam in that spot as well.
Last season, Beck, Doyle and Moniak each started more than 100 games in the outfield, something that could happen again in 2026. However, McCarthy and others will push for playing time this spring as well.
What will the Rockies do with possibly two additional roster spots?
Once pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 12, Colorado can move players off the 40-man roster and onto the 60-day injured list. Pitcher Jeff Criswell, still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and designated hitter Kris Bryant, diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease, could be candidates to be added to the 60-day IL.
If one or two spots open up on the 40-man roster, Colorado could use them in multiple ways. Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has been clear that the franchise is still looking at starting pitching options and more arms could be added to the roster through free agency or a trade. Another veteran bat could also be added.
Condon is one of several prospects who will likely be in camp and are not currently on the 40-man roster. The Rockies would only move one of them to the roster if an Opening Day debut against the Marlins in South Florida on March 27 was imminent, an unlikely thought as spring training gets underway.