In the wake of the Rockies’ 119-loss season and with their 2026 season opening on Friday in Miami, there is a question begging for an answer: Why did the club bring back manager Warren Schaeffer?

It’s a question I field often from Rockies fans, both ardent and casual.

It’s a fair question. After all, the front office underwent a major house cleaning during the offseason, so why not bring in a new manager, too? And the Rockies posted a poor 36-86 record (.321 winning percentage) under Schaeffer as interim manager. He replaced Bud Black last May when the Rockies opened the season 7-33.

Schaeffer won over most of the Rockies players quickly, but, fielding a young, inexperienced team, Colorado limped toward the finish line, going 4-21 in September.

So there was no guarantee that Schaeffer would return, and many baseball pundits said the Rockies needed to bring in a veteran, old-school manager to clean things up.

I have my reasons why Schaeffer returned, but I wanted to find out why Walker Monfort, the Rockies’ new team president, wanted the 41-year-old back in the dugout.

Here’s what I found out:

• They have known each other since Monfort’s early days working in the Rockies’ players development department when Schaeffer was a minor league player.

“I have known Warren for probably 15 years,” Monfort said. “I used to give him meal money when I worked in minor league operations. So, I’ve known Warren for a long time. And, obviously, I’ve gotten to know him better over the last few years, when he’s been at the major league level.”

Before Schaeffer replaced Black, he served as the third base coach and infield instructor, beginning in 2023.

• Schaeffer is a “people person and that counted for a lot.

“After we replaced Buddy, I started sitting down with Warren on a regular basis,” Monfort said. “I think we met the first game of every homestand for basically the rest of the season. I wanted us to get to know each other a little better.”

Monfort also wanted to pick Schaeffer’s brain on what the team needed to turn things around.

“We talked a lot about the processes we needed and the technologies that he had heard about that we didn’t have yet,” Monfort said. “The one big thing I got to know about Warren, through conversations with him and then through conversations with players and other front-office personnel, is that he is a people person.”

In November, when the Rockies hired Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations, one of his first tasks was to huddle with Monfort and team owner Dick Monfort (Walker’s father) and pick a manager.

“Paul, in his original interview, said that being able to relate to people and communicate is the most important thing for a modern-day manager,” Monfort said. “So ultimately, Warren was just the right fit. So when it came down to it, my dad and I had thought Warren deserved the opportunity.”

• Schaeffer has deep roots in the organization.

He was drafted by Colorado in the 38th round of the 2007 draft out of Virginia Tech. After his playing career ended in 2012, he spent 10 seasons, mostly as a manager, in the Rockies’ minor league system.

“I think everybody in the organization who came to know Warren wanted us to go this route,” Monfort said. “He’s been a Rockie for a long time.”

• DePodesta and Schaeffer were a good match.

“We wanted whoever came in (as team president) to ultimately make the call,” Monfort said. “But the nice thing was that ‘Schaeff’ has the attributes that Paul values most as a manager. So, it was fairly easy. It was natural.”

• Schaeffer’s process and work ethic.

“He’s committed and disciplined,” Monfort said. “You can see what great shape he’s in. I think that tells you something.”

• Schaeffer is super motivated.

“Motivation is the word to describe what’s going on here, and I think that’s true for all of us,” Monfort said. ” ‘Schaeff’ is incredibly motivated. He wants to prove he’s the right guy for the job.”

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