Denver finally had its first snowstorm of the season. And while it wasn’t too bad, it does get me excited for one thing – Spring Training.
If you haven’t been to Spring Training, I highly recommend it!
I take my family each year, and we always have a good time.
And the best part is that the Rockies always have a decent chance of winning.
Last Spring Training, they even had a record of 17-15.
Spring Training is a couple of months away though, so let’s see what the Rockies have been up to this past week.
Josh Byrnes Hired as the Rockies’ General Manager
On Wednesday, the Rockies announced that Josh Byrnes will be their next General Manager. He’ll be reporting to Paul DePodesta – the Rockies’ President of Baseball Operations.
And this has been my favorite hire from this offseason.
Here’s a quick highlight of Josh Byrnes’ most recent baseball experience:
- Assistant General Manager of the Boston Red Sox from 2003-2005
- General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2006-2010
- General Manager of the San Diego Padres from 2011-2014
- Senior Vice President of Operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2014
Pretty impressive resume!
That also means he played a part in helping the Dodgers win 3 World Series in 6 years (2020, 2024, 2025).
Overall, this seems like a smart hire for the Rockies.
Chances are, it will take more than one offseason to make the Rockies competitive, but I’m excited to hear what Josh Byrnes and Paul DePodesta will do next.
Preferably, they do something big – like going after the free agent Pete Alonso (I’m not sure if that’s realistic though).
Rockies Sign John Brebbia to a Minor League Contract
John Brebbia is a 35-year-old right-handed relief pitcher. And the Rockies signed him to a one-year Minor League deal, with an invitation to Spring Training.
John Brebbia made his MLB debut in 2017, but he’s bounced around between the MLB and Triple-A almost every year.
In his MLB career, John Brebbia has an ERA of 4.04.
But the bad news is that last year, he posted an ERA of 7.71 over 22 games.
If he continues with his streak of bouncing between minor league and MLB, there’s a good chance we’ll see him pitch in a Rockies uniform next season.
But it also depends on how he does in Spring Training.
Rockies Hire Nicky Schmidt as Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue And Strategy Officer
This hire won’t directly impact the play you see on the field, but it will impact your fan experience if you attend a game.
The Rockies created a new front office position of “Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue And Strategy Officer” and announced the hiring of Nicky Schmidt for that new role.
She’ll be responsible for overseeing the Rockies’ ticketing, merchandise, and corporate partnerships departments.
Prior to this role, Nicky Schmidt was the senior vice president of organizational strategy and business analytics for the Cleveland Guardians.
At the beginning of the offseason, the Rockies said they wanted to hire from outside of the organization. And it looks like they’re sticking to that plan, because this is the second front office hire they’ve made from outside the Rockies’ organization.
Prospect Spotlight: Griffin Herring (Rockies #9 Prospect)
Each week in the off-season, we’ll cover a top prospect from the Rockies, so you’ll know who to watch as they make their way to the big leagues.
Current Team: Spokane Indians (High-A Team)
Drafted: 2024
Age: 22
Position: Starting Left-Handed Pitcher
Bats: Right-handed
Throws: Left-handed
Estimated MLB Debut: 2027
Griffin Herring was drafted by the New York Yankees as the 181st pick of the 2024 draft.
He was then part of the Ryan McMahon trade earlier this year, which sent Ryan McMahon to the Yankees in exchange for pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz.
Griffin Herring has played in one full season in the minor leagues on 3 different teams. And so far, his stats have been pretty good.
Last year, he pitched in 23 games and went 8-4 as a starter. He had an ERA of 1.89 and 149 strikeouts.
Pretty good year!
From a scouting report I read, it sounds like he will benefit from adding some strength if he wants to be a starting pitcher. And if he doesn’t add strength, he could still become a good relief pitcher.
Hopefully we hear more good news about him as he progresses next season!
That wraps up this week’s newsletter. Hope everyone has a great week!
-Steve
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