Remember last season when the Rockies were hit so hard by infield injuries they had to quickly buy a player from the Texas Rangers to play shortstop?

Yes, it was a worst-case scenario for Colorado in a season filled with them. After coming over from Texas in exchange for cash considerations, Alan Trejo lasted just 13 games with the Rockies, batting .175 and producing just one RBI during his limited run. When Tyler Freeman, Aaron Schunk and Ezequiel Tovar returned from the injured list, Trejo was designated for assignment.

That two-week stretch with Trejo was, at best, a Band-Aid approach that couldn’t cover Colorado’s poor roster construction and inexperienced potential depth pieces that went along with it. The Band-Aid simply covered up the problem without solving it.

This year, the Rockies spent the offseason finding what they hope is the antidote to the roster construction illness that plagued them in 2025.

Colorado Rockies shortstop Alan Trejo (31) tags out Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney (27) as he tries to steal second base in the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

While a rash of injuries can hit any team at any time, this year’s Rockies spring training roster has arguably the most depth and versatility it has seen this decade. That doesn’t always equate to winning, but it certainly is a positive sign for a team coming off a franchise-worst 119-loss season.

The tip of the versatility spear could well be Freeman, who last year started 60 games in right field, 26 as the designated hitter and 12 at second base. He reached base safely in 34 consecutive starts between May 30 and July 13 and his 11.9% strikeout rate tied for eighth-lowest in the National League (minimum 400 plate appearances).

Those are the kind of numbers that play well in manager Warren Schaeffer’s lineup, where Freeman led off a team-high 72 times last season and will likely find his name back at the top of the order in 2026.

“Tyler’s versatility is a huge weapon for us,” Schaeffer told The Denver Gazette. “We can deploy him at second base or in the outfield. It’s a matter of us getting the best lineup on the field every night, and his versatility helps us with that goal.”

Versatility will be a calling card for the Rockies in 2026, with newcomers Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy able to bounce around the diamond. That was an offseason goal for the Rockies in their quest to build a roster that can help them climb out of the NL West cellar.

FILE – Chicago Cubs’ Willi Castro (1) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sept. 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

“What we’re trying to do is create really healthy competition on our roster,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “Most of the players we have acquired do have a good amount of versatility, so I think there are lots of different ways that the pieces can fit, and that’s really what we were looking for.

“We’re also going into the season with the idea that the roster is going to be fluid through the course of the year. We all know we will have injuries or we might have players that maybe don’t perform the way you expected them to. I think these players having versatility just makes our roster a little bit more robust.”

It also creates competition in spring training that should add a little spice in Scottsdale.

“Any time you create a sense of competition, that’s a very good thing,” Schaeffer said. “These are all good players, which means we have a lot of good options. That’s not a problem for any team. It’s going to be a fun spring training to watch the competition unfold.”

Freeman not only had Colorado’s longest on-base streak last season — a career-long 25-game streak – but also the team’s longest hitting streak as well. He had hits in 12 straight between June 13 and 25 when he slashed .390/.490/.439 with four RBI while striking out just twice. Still, he enters 2026 amid a crowded infield and outfield where the high amount of versatility means few players will have positions carved out throughout the season.

Julien, acquired through a January trade with the Minnesota Twins, could well be this year’s version of Freeman, bouncing around the diamond and filling needs depending on injuries or ineffectiveness.

Minnesota Twins’ Edouard Julien (47) watches his solo home run during third inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

“It’s easier with versatile guys,” Schaeffer said of his daily lineup puzzle. “When you have more options, you can find the right guy at the right position and that puts the team in a position to succeed. With Julien, he can play first, second or ‘DH.’ He’s part of that group of left-handed hitters we added this offseason, along with Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro, who is a switch-hitter.

“We are set up with more options at more positions, which is a good thing.”