Former Rockies GM says if he could do it all over, he’d follow Rays model

Dan O’Dowd gave it his best shot in 16 seasons as Colorado Rockies general manager.

And for his work, the club emerged with its only National League championship and World Series appearance, coming via the unforgettable “Rocktober” run of 2007 that echoes as the franchise’s singular accomplishment.

But just two postseason appearances and no division titles were all the Rox had from O’Dowd’s years on the job, and a little over a decade later, as he reflected

Now, he would do it differently.

He’d do it like the Tampa Bay Rays.

Invest in developing players, flip them when they reach peak value, and focus on specific types of players — particularly when it comes to pitching:

“I’d have waves and waves of depth — power arms, strike throwers and athletic guys,” O’Dowd told ESPN.

The Rays’ model has been transferred to other clubs with more resources with success.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office is led by former Rays general manager Andrew Friedman. While they have a leviathan budget and the ability to structure creative contracts, their player-development program has become the envy of the sport, particularly in its ability to produce pitching talent.

Ex-Rays baseball-operations staffers run baseball operations of other clubs, including the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins.

The Dodgers were the subject of Rockies owner Dick Monfort’s ire last month, as he argued for a salary cap and floor in the wake of Los Angeles’ spending, with which he claimed his club and other lower-revenue clubs like the Rockies could not keep pace.

The Rays have been a model of maintaining a competitive team despite having financial constraints necessitated by low attendance at Tropicana Field, their home through the 2024 season until damage from Hurricane Milton forced it to play this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa.

The Rays have made nine postseason appearances, won four division titles and played in two World Series, compared with the Rockies’ five playoff trips, zero division crowns and one World Series appearance.

After finishing below .500 in each of its first 10 seasons, Tampa Bay has 12 winning seasons in its last 17 campaigns; the Rockies have nine winning seasons in their first 32 years and are off to a 4-24 start in their 33rd campaign.

In other words, the Rays have a model worth emulating — or at least trying to replicate. And the Rockies have long had a far higher salary budget than Tampa Bay’s, so they have the ability to retain players that the Rays haven’t.

What O’Dowd suggests certainly would be worth a shot.

It certainly couldn’t be worse.

Related

Los Angeles Angels fire scout who filmed Rockies coachesFormer MLB GM tosses out trade idea for Rockies to deal Hunter GoodmanRockies bombed early and late on a heated night at Coors FieldRockies trade reliever to Dodgers for pitching prospect and outfielderRockies fall despite Goodman’s three home runsRockies hit 100 games on pace to avoid 100 losses after overpowering Reds