Seeking to create what Paul DePodesta calls a \u201crobust, competitive, versatile and fluid\u201d roster, the Rockies made a pair of trades Wednesday, two weeks before the club opens spring training.\n<\/p>\n
First, Colorado moved to improve its first base depth by acquiring Yankees minor leaguer T.J. Rumfield in exchange for talented but inconsistent right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli.\n<\/p>\n
Then Colorado acquired infielder Edouard Julien and right-handed pitcher Pierson Ohl from Minnesota in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Jace Kaminska and cash considerations.\n<\/p>\n
Both Rumfield and Julien are left-handed hitters, something that DePodesta said the Rockies need. Earlier this month, Colorado struck a deal with Arizona to acquire athletic outfielder Jake McCarthy<\/a>, also a left-handed hitter.\n<\/p>\n None of the players Colorado has acquired this offseason is considered a marquee talent, and Julien and McCarthy are coming off subpar seasons, but the Rockies\u2019 new president of baseball operations<\/a>, believes they all have a big upside.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s much harder to acquire guys when they are coming off a career year, and these players were not necessarily in that situation,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we feel really strongly about their capabilities. We hope we can build on that foundation and get them back to where they were and maybe even exceed where they were.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rockies opened two spots on their 40-man roster by trading Chivilli and by designating outfielder Yanquiel Fern\u00e1ndez for assignment.\n<\/p>\n Julien, who turns 27 in April, has experience at second base and first, both positions where the Rockies needed depth. He\u2019s flashed potential, particularly during his 2023 rookie season with the Twins, when he slashed .263\/.381\/.459 and hit 16 home runs. However, his strikeout rate that season was 31.4%.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Over the last two seasons, Julien bounced back and forth between the majors and the minors and is now out of options. Over the past two seasons, he slashed .261\/.406\/.440 at Triple-A and his strikeout rate was high.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe were really intrigued by the player, and he had a really good record with the bat, even going back to High-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and into his rookie season,\u201d DePodesta said. \u201cHe\u2019s produced at the major league at different times. The last couple of years, he hasn\u2019t had as consistent opportunities as he did in his rookie year, but we liked his versatility. He can play first, and can play second, and we like that left-handed bat against right-handed pitching.\u201d<\/p>\n As a true first baseman, Rumfield has a bigger upside than Julien. Rumfield was blocked in the Yankees organization by Ben Rice\u2019s emergence. His path to the majors appears clearer in Colorado.\n<\/p>\n Rumfield spent the entire 2025 season at Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .285\/.378\/.447 with 16 home runs, 31 doubles, a triple and five stolen bases. He had an impressive 11.9% walk rate vs. a 18.4% strikeout rate. In 2024, Rumfield slashed .292\/.365\/.461 with 15 homers in 114 Triple-A games.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a solid defender at first base to go along with his bat,\u201d DePodesta said. \u201cHe\u2019s been a very productive hitter at Triple-A at age 24 and 25. He\u2019s got really good bat-to-ball skills, and he has some emerging power.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a guy that can manipulate the bat pretty well and, as a consequence, has hit for average, along with some of that juice. We think he\u2019s a nice combination of skills.\u201d<\/p>\n Rumfield was drafted in the 12th round out of Virginia Tech in 2021 by Philadelphia and was traded to New York before the 2022 season. He gained some traction that season and won the batting title in the Arizona Fall League in 2022, hitting .400.\n<\/p>\n