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Happy Friday!
It may seem like the year just started, but the good news is that it’s almost baseball time!
The pitchers and catchers for the Rockies will report to Spring Training on Thursday, February 12th.
That’s only 27 days away!
Then their full squad will report to Spring Training on Tuesday, February 17th.
I haven’t seen them release a TV schedule yet, but if it’s anything like last year, there will be a handful of Rockies Spring Training games that will be televised.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m excited to watch baseball again!
But for now, let’s jump into the Rockies news from this past week.
Willi Castro Signs Two-Year Deal With The Rockies
Willi Castro is a 29-year-old utility player who also made the All-Star team in 2024.
In his 7-year career, his batting average is .244 with 56 home runs and 75 stolen bases.
So while we probably won’t see a lot of home runs from him, he is a solid everyday player who can easily play multiple positions when the team needs him.
Since the Rockies have Ezequiel Tovar locked in at shortstop, chances are we’ll see Willi Castro playing some third base, second base, and outfield next season.
The bad news is that Willi Castro is coming off a down year for his offensive numbers. So hopefully we can see him bounce back to that All-Star level performance from two seasons ago!
Diamonbacks Trade Jake McCarthy (CF) to the Rockies For Josh Grosz (RHP)
On Saturday, the Rockies traded Josh Grosz to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jake McCarthy.
Jake McCarthy is a 28-year-old outfielder who has played his first 5 MLB seasons in Arizona.
Jake McCarthy has a career batting average of .260, which is a batting average that beats most of the Rockies’ players from last season.
He also has just 24 home runs over his 5 MLB seasons.
While we won’t see too many home runs from him, Jake McCarthy is another solid pick-up for the outfield.
At this point, we’ll most likely see Jordan Beck, Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle, and Tyler Freeman in the outfield. But chances are that Jake McCarthy will be the next player in line to fill in when an outfielder is needed.
Michael Lorenzen (RPH) Officially Signed With the Rockies
In last week’s newsletter, we covered Michael Lorenzen signing with the Rockies. But that deal wasn’t finalized yet.
Yesterday, Michael Lorenzen officially signed a one-year contract with the Rockies.
Michael Lorenzen is guaranteed $8 million, with an option to play the following year for $9 million.
Michael Lorenzen is a 34-year-old starting pitcher and here are a few highlights about him:
- He’s pitched for 11 years
- His career record is 54-55
- He has a career ERA of 4.08
- In his final game pitching last season, he tied his single-game strikeout record with 9
- Dude has massive biceps
Here’s a yoked picture he posted 3 weeks ago on his Instagram:
But there’s a lot of potential for him as a starter, and I’m excited to see him pitch for the Rockies!
Rockies Sign 10 Players From the International Signing Period
The International Signing Period opened up yesterday, and the Rockies already made a couple of moves.
For the International Signing Period, the MLB does some weird calculations I don’t fully understand that help them come up with a maximum amount of money a team can spend during this International Signing Period.
This year, the Rockies can spend $8,034,900, which ties the highest allotment in the MLB.
Here is a quick list of the players the Rockies have signed so far:
- Richard De Los Santos (SS) – $1 million
- Ismael Contreras (RHP) – $700,000
- Brandol Fernandez (RHP) – $500,000
- Dylan Lopez (LHP) – $250,000
- Jendry Guaraco (SS) $250,000
- Maiker Ramirez SS) $200,000
- Jose Gudiño (C)
- Yenderberth Rivas (RHP)
- Yeremi Mendez (RHP)
- Omar Marrugo (SS)
It’s difficult to predict how well players who signed from the International Signing Period will perform, but there have been some famous players who started their MLB careers from this pool – like Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and José Ramírez.
These players will start off in the Minor League, so it will likely be a few years before we hear anything promising about any of these players.
Upcoming Events
Rockies Fest on 1/24
Rockies Fest is almost here!
And in addition to Larry Walker being at this event, the Rockies also announced that Todd Helton will be there too. Pretty exciting!
Rockies Fest tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for season ticket & mini-plan holders. Autograph tickets are an additional $5.
Check out their Rockies Fest page on MLB if you’re interested in attending.
Rockies & Nuggets Crossover on 1/27
The Nuggets are hosting a game at Ball Arena on Tuesday, the 27th.
And if fans can get a custom Nuggets/Rockies jersey if they attend.
If anyone wanted to attend and get that jersey, I was only able to find that special ticket package through this link – https://nuggets.spinzo.com/denver-nuggets-vs-detroit-pistons-2026-01-27-WSAXF?group=co-rockies-crossover-night-t8zm&affiliate=co-rockies-co-rockies-924j
Rockies Single Game Tickets Are Now On Sale
The Rockies announced that single-game tickets are on sale!
If anyone wants to check out ticket prices, here’s a link to StubHub that shows all the Rockies games this season – including Spring Training games.
Baseball is almost here!
Prospect Spotlight: Sterlin Thompson (Rockies #14 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: Colorado Rockies
Drafted: 2022
Age: 24
Position: Left Fielder
Bats: Left-handed
Throws: Right-handed
Estimated MLB Debut: 2026
Sterlin Thompson has yet to play in an MLB game, but he’s currently on the Rockies’ 40-man roster.
He was added to the Rockies’ 40-man roster in November as a way to protect him from being picked up in the Rule-5 draft.
But, Sterlin Thompson has been having an excellent Minor League career, so it’s very likely we’ll see him in the Rockies’ lineup this upcoming season.
Sterlin Thompson has played 4 years in the Minors, but he spent the entire 2025 season with the Rockies Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes.
With the Albuquerque Isotopes, he played in 120 games, had a batting average of .296, and 18 home runs.
And while he’s looked better in left field than in any other position, Sterlin Thompson has also had plenty of playing time at third base.
Depending on how the Rockies want to utilize him, there’s a chance we could see Sterlin Thompson play more like a utility man than just an outfielder.
The Rockies have been busy making moves this offseason, so we’ll see if Sterlin Thompson earns a spot for opening day or if we’ll have to wait to see him in a Rockies uniform later on in the season.
That wraps up this week’s newsletter. Hope everyone has a great week!
-Steve
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