Story by
The Veteran Right-Hander The Rockies Should Move on From
- Story by
- The Veteran Right-Hander The Rockies Should Move on From
(© Isaiah J. Downing- Imagn Images)
The Colorado Rockies demonstrated some improvement in the 2026 season, but if they want to get away from 100-plus-loss seasons and start meaningfully winning baseball games again, serious changes still need to happen.
When viewing the Rockies' biggest issues, pitching is at the forefront. Once again, Colorado's pitching staff was at the bottom of Major League Baseball in multiple metrics, including ERA (5.59), WHIP (1.52), opponent batting average (.288) and strikeouts (1,113).
Advertisement
While the Rockies' offense made its way into the top five of multiple hitting rankings, the results on the mound remained at rock bottom.
Colorado's front office wasted little time in beginning to address this issue when it fired pitching coach Alon Leichman on Oct. 15. Now, it is time to make changes to the pitching staff.
Not long ago, I wrote about how the Rockies should move on from Kyle Freeland. Another pitcher they should consider parting ways with is right-hander Jimmy Herget.
Herget's bad season for Rockies
After the Rockies traded away right-hander Antonio Senzatela, there was no pitcher on staff who finished with a winning record. However, Herget was the only pitcher who appeared in at least 20 games and failed to secure a win.
Advertisement
Herget, 33, went 0-6 with a 5.70 ERA in 51 appearances (three starts) and 53.2 innings of work. Herget has never proven to be a great pitcher, and Colorado took a flyer on him when they claimed him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in November 2024.
While Herget's numbers have never jumped off the stat sheet, he was significantly better in his first season with the Rockies in 2025. Over 59 appearances in the 2025 season, Herget went 1-2 with a 2.48 ERA over 83.1 innings of work.
Now, it is fair to point out that Herget dealt with adversity this season. In May, he had a stint on the bereavement list, which was followed by a stint on the 15-day Injured List for a right shoulder impingement.
Nothing came easy for the veteran, and his struggles can be attributed to things that were out of his control.
Advertisement
Still, from a baseball standpoint, it may not make sense for the Rockies to bring Herget back. He played the 2026 season on a one-year, $1.5 million deal to avoid arbitration, and he is under team control through 2027.
If, however, Colorado does decide to bring him back, perhaps a new pitching coach and a fresh season will return him to the productivity he enjoyed in 2025.
