Report: After 2 straight 100-loss seasons Rockies will slash payroll

Despite losing 204 games over the past two seasons the Colorado Rockies have actually been middle of the pack in payroll, but that will not be the case in 2025, according to the Denver Post.

Patrick Saunders reported that multiple sources told him the Rockies will cut payroll in 2025. He explains that the reasons for Colorado’s payroll to dip are tied to TV revenue which has fallen greatly since regional sports networks have basically collapsed nationwide. This has already impacted the Rockies as they went from spending $171 million on their roster (14th in bigs) in 2023 to $147 million (17th in baseball) in 2024. Those numbers came at the same time AT&T SportsNet shuttered and the Rockies went online with their games and had MLB produce and distribute them.

Fans will no doubt be upset that the Rockies plan to take an even further step back from competition while at the same time, they’ve still filled Coors Field. Colorado has been ninth, 14th and 15 in attendance the last three seasons, drawing 31,361 fans per game this year.

Cutting the payroll further is basically an admission that the Rockies will miss the playoffs for a seventh-straight season, which will match the drought from 2010 through 2016. Colorado will also be likely to finish under .500 for a seventh season in a row which would be a franchise record.

The Post reports the way the Rockies will lessen their bill is by looking to trade some veterans. Among the most obvious choices are infielder Brendan Rodgers and pitchers Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber. The trio will all be free agents after the 2025 season and are projected to make between $8 million and $5 million in their final years of arbitration. That news coupled with Charlie Blackmon retiring and his $13 million salary coming off the books and the Rockies could pay more like $125 million for their roster, which would be near the bottom-third of baseball in 2024 and possibly be the least the team has spent since 2016.

All the while the Rockies are apparently looking to add a veteran bat to the lineup and a veteran arm to steady the bullpen. More than likely, the players they could be getting rid of will be better and more cost-effective than the players they will target. Rodgers, the third overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft, has had an okay MLB career. Had that day broken differently Colorado could’ve gotten Dansby Swanson or Alex Bregman and that would’ve likely extended the 2017-2018 teams’ playoff window. Likewise, Gomber has been up and down in purple but given he was the key asset back in the Nolan Arenado trade, had Colorado gotten something different there, this rebuild could be going a lot smoother.

A rebuild is no doubt the right path for the Rockies, who are devoid of talent at many spots up and down their organization. Even the last two years’ drafts have greatly improved the club’s farm system ranks and the team will undoubtedly need more future pinching. Some of this has already even paid out in the majors with youngsters like Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle shining. But it all comes in contrast to Kris Bryant’s giant contract and the little ball he’s played. All the while the Mets and Dodgers just played for the National League pennant with payrolls of $318 million and $241 million respectively.