By Patrick Saunders

Copyright denverpost

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

How much offseason housecleaning needs to be done to the Rockies’ organization?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, the short answer is a lot, but there is more to it than that. The Rockies should absolutely review every part of their baseball operations. If they haven’t begun that task already, they’d better get busy.

I’m convinced that the Rockies will hire a new president of baseball operations and/or a general manager. Very soon. I’m hoping that person will come from outside the organization and will be given autonomy to build their own front office. If not, what’s the point?

That said, it would make no sense to eliminate everyone. The organization has many talented people, and some of them need to be retained to provide institutional knowledge and serve as a bridge of continuity.

Finally, a new front office leader needs to be given the authority and the money to hire more coaches and analysts at all levels of the organization.

When Walker Monfort — son of Dick Monfort, the principal owner — was promoted to executive vice president in late June, Walker said changes were forthcoming.

“Ultimately, we’re open to anything, and I think that’s where I want to keep it,” he said at the time. “I think we’re open to whatever it takes to make the Colorado Rockies better. But I would say it’s really about maximizing our resources, right? And if we don’t have the right resources in place, we should figure out a way to get the right resources in place. That’s not just from a staffing perspective, it’s really everything.”

The key phrase here is “maximize our resources.” I’ll be curious to see how that plays out.

With the season grinding to a painful end, if you were a betting man, what are the odds that Monfort will make earth-shattering changes? I am talking about the front office, president, new GM, new analytics, letting others make baseball decisions, etc.

— Del, Lamar

Del, as I write this, I’m waiting for the Rockies to make significant changes. I thought they would happen on Monday, the day after the season ended. That didn’t happen, but changes are coming, and I believe that Bill Schmidt will be out as general manager. As for “earth-shattering changes,” I wouldn’t place a bet because I don’t know how much power owner Dick Monfort is willing to give up. We’ll know soon.

Hey Patrick. I didn’t think the Rockies would be THIS BAD, but here we are. Of course, the starting pitching is horrendous, and the Rockies won’t be able to address that with free agents, so hopefully some of the prospects take a step up next year. The Rockies just can’t seem to figure out second base for a good five or six years now, so why not go after potential infield free agents Nico Hoerner or Luis Arraez? These guys would not bust the bank, hit for average and put the ball in play, something the Rockies need more of. A four- or five-year deal could let the Rockies move some of their other infield prospects and fix the rotating hole we’ve had there since Brendan Rodgers didn’t live up to expectations.

— Chip, Denver

Chip, you bring up some excellent points.

No. 1, you’re right that the Rockies can’t sign quality free-agent pitchers. They don’t want to come to Colorado and pitch at altitude; we all know that. That said, the club’s 2026 rotation will lack depth and will be woefully inexperienced. The Rockies need to sign a workmanlike starter to a one-year deal, just for the sake of some stability and to save the bullpen.

They should also bundle some of their outfield prospects and perhaps a veteran player for some young pitchers.

Second base, just like first base, has become a black hole for Colorado. Perhaps Tyler Freeman will be the answer, at least for 2026. But he profiles more as a super-utility player. I don’t think the Rockies will be signing anybody to four- or five-year deals this offseason, but a left-handed-hitting second baseman would be a solid acquisition. Arraz might fill that role, but I don’t think the Rockies could afford him. Plus, he’s said he wants to return to the Padres. Hoerner is under contract with the Cubs through 2026.

Hey Patrick, I realize that the Rockies’ fanbase has just about had it with ownership and its complete incompetence in managing a Major League Baseball team. One thing that Dick Monfort can do well is sell beer and continue to make a fortune at the fans’ expense. Hopefully, one day the fanbase will stop renewing its season tickets and Monfort will finally go outside of HIS organization and find someone that can tell him “NO” and not be his “Yes” man.

All right, I’m done venting. Now, the question I have is this: Do you think the fanbase is aware of how close the Rockies are to the worst record over a three-year span? I’m sure they are really close to being the worst ever in a four-year span.

I really appreciate your coverage of this discombobulated franchise with professionalism and tact, especially when listening to the Rockies brass make total fools of the fan base.

Have a good offseason!

— Tom, Littleton

Tom, I hope the fans are aware of the Rockies’ three-year run of futility. If not, they need to read the package that Kyle Newman and I put together for The Denver Post last Sunday. We included a wide range of statistics, including where the Rockies rank among the MLB’s worst three-year runs.

OK, a bit premature, maybe, but Day 2 after the offseason and still no breaking news headlines that Bill Schmidt has been fired, etc. What gives? How idiotic and obtuse are the Monforts? You’d think for optics alone, they would at least reassign him if nothing else.

— JC, Denver

JC, you are a bit premature. As I mentioned in a previous response, I believe some significant changes are coming soon. However, I’m surprised the club has not made an announcement yet. Other teams have fired managers, announced they are firing or retaining GMs. Actually, I don’t know why the Rockies didn’t instigate changes back in July.

How do the Rockies view Mickey Moniak at this point? While he has had a nice season, he really doesn’t hit lefties, and he feels more like a nice fourth outfielder than a core piece moving forward.

— Dave Black, Highlands Ranch

Dave, on a really good team, Moniak profiles as a fourth outfielder. For the Rockies, he’ll see a lot of starting time next season. Currently, he is a key player because the Rockies lack alternatives to play right field and serve as Brenton Doyle’s backup in center. Moniak had a good season, slashing .270/.306/.518 with 24 homers, 20 doubles, and eight triples. He had a 115 OPS+. I think he’s a valuable player for the Rockies right now.

Patrick, what is the first thing a new Rockies GM should address on day one? How do they change the culture and truly become a draft-and-development organization that wins playoff games? Thank you.

— Steve, Aurora

Wow, Steve, that’s a tricky question. And a huge question. Let me say that the first thing that needs to be done is to evaluate the front office and the coaches at all levels. Hopefully, some of that work has already been done. Then, the new GM (or team president) should bring in the coaches and analytics people they want. Shuffling the big-league roster is not Job 1 right now. That’s down the list.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.