Freeland’s first complete game came with thoughts that it could be his last in a Rockies uniform

DENVER — Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland has endured — in a way, perhaps, that some other Major League franchises wouldn’t have allowed to happen, even with being a left-hander. That’s especially true with the struggles of the last four seasons, three of which have seen him post earned-run averages of over 5.00 — and in the exception in that span, 2025, his ERA was 4.98.

But with the club enduring lean years and cycling through starting pitchers like socks, Freeland’s best ability has often been as simple as availability. Late last year, when the defeats accumulated, the team struggled to avoid setting a modern-era loss record and necessity forced young pitchers into the rotation before they were ready, he notched an ERA of 3.16 over his final five starts — three of which were quality starts, including one that lasted eight full innings.

That’s how you end up setting a Rockies record for career starts, to which he added on Sunday when he delivered his first-career complete game in his 251st starting assignment for the club.

And there’s a decent chance it may be his last, with the trade deadline looming at 4 p.m. MDT on Monday and his name reportedly among seven that the team has made available for acquisition.

In giving the Rockies and their fans something to remember, Freeland may also have made a case for a contender to acquire him for the stretch run.

Freeland wasn’t thinking about burnishing his trade value when he stepped onto the mound Sunday afternoon. But he did acknowledge that his mind went there … to the notion that this could be his final start for his hometown team.

“I went into the start as, ‘Another one of my starts.’ Same level head, same thought process, game plan, everything like that,” Freeland said.

“But in the back of your head, there’s that thought of, ‘This could be potentially my last one here at home.’ Obviously, we’ll see in the next 24 hours how all that unfolds.”

And with new management making the decisions, the expectation is for the Rockies to deal, and not stand inertly as was the case under previous baseball management. With the National League’s worst record and an 8-13 mark since July 6, the team’s analytics-minded management is expected to be realistic about where the club stands — having lost 13 of 18 games prior to this weekend’s sweep of the Kansas City Royals — and to deal accordingly.

And a seasoned left-hander coming off arguably his best career start in conditions that were conducive to the longball should have some value.

FREELAND TO COORS FIELD FANS: “I LOVE YOU GUYS”

If Sunday’s performance was a farewell to the hometown supporters, it could scarcely have gone better. At one point, Freeland retired 18 consecutive Royals before giving up a pair of ninth-inning hits. But he rallied to induce two fly-ball outs, ending his 115-pitch day in a sea of hugs from teammates and coaches.

And then, in an on-field interview over the stadium’s public-address system, he gave a message to the fans: “I love you guys.”

At that moment, it was hard to think of the occasion as anything but a farewell, and a chance for player and supporters to acknowledge and express gratitude to each other.

“I’ve had — obviously — some very serious ups and downs throughout my tenure here with the Rockies,” Freeland said in the clubhouse shortly thereafter. “But the fans — especially the fans who show up every single game, you know those fans have your back, and they want to see you have success.

“And to be able to hear them, right when I popped out there for the ninth inning, the excitement from them meant the world, gave me a jolt of energy. It was a really cool situation. I’ll be able to hold onto that one for a really long time.”

#Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland said, “I love you guys,” when asked on-field for a message to the fans after the first complete game of his career — in the shadow of Monday’s MLB trade deadline. “I mean, I've had, obviously, some very serious ups and downs throughout my tenure… pic.twitter.com/Ar1N5u7V15

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 2, 2026

But if the Rockies don’t hold onto him beyond Monday afternoon, there will be a leadership void.

“It’s just inherent for him, because he’s been here for such a long time and he’s from Colorado and he’s been such an enormous presence in the clubhouse in the Rockies’ winning days — and then through this lull that we’ve had the past however many years,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

“He’s been a constant leader in the clubhouse through thick and thin — which is the testament of a real leader: Can you lead in distress? And he has.”

And now he might have the chance to help lead a team in contention, something he hasn’t experienced since 2018. But before that could possibly happen, Freeland was able to seize one phenomenal, unforgettable day.

“I was gonna do everything I could to let him finish that game,” Schaeffer said. “It was so incredibly important to him; I know that’s something that he absolutely deserves for what he’s done for this organization for a long time.”

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