![\"\"](\"https:\/\/platform.purplerow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/128\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-27-10.33.35-AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBaseball Savant<\/p>\n
There could still be a way for his bat to pick up a little bit from the .189\/.271\/.274 slash in 214 plate appearances as he still has a keen eye at the plate, just not much oomph behind the bat, but the glove experience could be beneficial to help Goodman and the others progress. He wouldn\u2019t have to play every day, since he is 35, and Spotrac projects his market value a little over $1 million, which is more than affordable for the Rockies for a cheap big league contract, or a split contract type deal.<\/p>\n
How about a reunion with the Rockies\u2019 starting catcher from 2021-2024? After strong offensive campaigns in 2023 and 2024 for Colorado, D\u00edaz was released in August 2024 after injuries had sapped his trade value, and the Rockies needed to make space for other players. He signed on with the Padres for the rest of that season and re-upped for 2025 but the bat continued to regress.<\/p>\n
However, the more that D\u00edaz played in Colorado, the better his work behind the plate got and he continued that with the Padres. He ranked above average in blocking, caught-stealing average, and framing while ranking in the 87th percentile in pop-time. Adding D\u00edaz once more could bring back some veteran experience behind the dish that could help answer the questions the new front office has with pitching at altitude. He\u2019s also projected for a $2 million contract with is plenty affordable.<\/p>\n
Back in November 2014, current Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as the right-hand man of Andrew Friedman. One of the first trades the Dodgers made was sending a trio of players to Miami for four players, including a young catcher named Austin Barnes.<\/p>\n
Over 11 years with the Dodgers, Barnes was a staple in the catching tandem, often serving as the personal catcher of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. His bat has never been his calling card, aside from a handful of solid seasons. Still, his elite plate discipline with a career walk rate of 11% has been a useful tool. Perhaps with Byrnes in the Rockies front office, the team could lure Barnes to the organization on a minor league deal. A career of working with high-profile pitchers, with his great reputation as a teammate and game caller, Barnes could be a useful addition to boost the Rockies.<\/p>\n
The team has made it clear they don\u2019t want to hand out positions to younger players out of necessity. If something should happen to Goodman or Fulford, even during spring training, what is the contingency plan? Perhaps Fulford could be better served playing every day in Triple-A while a veteran backstop helps at the big league level. They tried to do this with Austin Nola last season, but aside from a decent offensive showing in Triple-A, didn\u2019t do much on either side of the ball to warrant an extended look.<\/p>\n
The free agent market has plenty of players who could join as depth pieces in big league camp on minor league deals or cheap major league contracts, or perhaps the Rockies could look to trade for more catching. The point of talking about this is to bring up the fact that the Rockies need to strengthen their depth behind the plate.<\/p>\n
Rockies plan to be aggressive with roster depth | MLB.com<\/a><\/p>\n Warren Schaeffer hopes to be more flexible with his lineup usage in 2026, giving him the ability to mix and match more. Despite new additions like Willi Castro and Jake McCarthy being repeats of players, Schaeffer doesn\u2019t want to be confined to playing strictly by depth chart, even if there are players who are worthy of playing every day. It\u2019s an interesting read and gives plenty of insight. Additionally, the Rockies want a left-handed hitter at first base.<\/p>\n