Incompetence, like a viral video, spread unchecked for seven years.
When the Rockies hired Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations it was supposed to represent a win for change and credibility. Then, DePodesta retained Warren Schaeffer as the manager last week and the SOS calls — Same ol’ Sorry Rockies — returned like sirens.
How can a franchise preach a fresh start and keep anyone attached to last season’s 119-loss debacle, even if it was not Schaeffer’s fault? One possible explanation is that DePodesta believes no one is paying attention, so it is pointless to hold anyone accountable.
DePodesta helped trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson in Cleveland and kept his job, so he can be forgiven for trusting pretzel logic.
The thing is, DePodesta knows what he is doing. He is the smartest Rockies front-office employee since Jeff Bridich decided wisely not to take orders from Greg Feasel, choosing instead to become a stay-at-home dad.
Schaeffer’s return looks awful. Bad. But the move says the quiet part out loud.
On the horizon is an audit-take-inventory-fix-the-foundation season as MLB inches closer to a labor stoppage next December.
Canning Schaeffer would have made sense if the Rockies were trying to win or poised to reshape their roster with upgraded free agents and Band-Aid veterans.
Alas, they are not. This is not a fixer-upper. This is a complete rebuild.
Sure, they will have to acquire or sign a few pitchers to fill out the rotation, maybe even add a bullpen arm.
But for the most part, the 2026 Rockies will look a lot like the 2025 Rockies. That is why Schaeffer still has a job.
He is not so much a manager as an instructional league coach. These young players need discipline, structure, and, for the first time in their careers, help from analytics, both in quantity and how to apply them for success. Schaeffer will embrace this. He must for DePodesta to rationalize this decision.
Truth is, Schaeffer won’t be around when the Rockies turn things around. He is a placeholder, with the bonus that he genuinely cares about these players. So, let him return with added discipline and hope.
DePodesta, frankly, has much bigger things to fix. He must find a general manager and overhaul the minor league coaching staffs and scouting departments.
Because here is the sobering truth: until the Rockies become adept at draft and development, it doesn’t matter who is filling out the lineup card in the major league dugout.
a-Mora at CSU: Jim Mora is so overqualified for CSU that former Alabama coach Nick Saban asked on the Pat McAfee show, “Why would he do that?”
Well, he returns to the Pac-12. Has a shot at qualifying for the college football playoffs. Loves living out West. This is such a good hire that it will not surprise me if CU wishes he were the Buffs’ coach after next season. Nobody brings attention like Deion Sanders. But Coach Prime’s gameday chops in a power conference pale in comparison to Mora.
Side-by-side: Drink in the excellence. Bath in the glory. And ask a simple question: Who has had a better start to the season, Nikola Jokic or the Avs? Jokic entered Friday averaging 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 11.1 assists while shooting 62.6 % from the floor and 43.4 % on 3-pointers. Those numbers don’t just compare with anyone this season, but anyone in any season.
And the Avs? They are a wagon. They are 10-0-2 in November, outscoring opponents 49-18. They have three shutouts in their last four games, and have lost once in regulation. Don’t be surprised when they post the best record in NHL history.
Path to Super Bowl: The Broncos picked the perfect season to become legitimate contenders again. The AFC is wide open. As it stands, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are not in the playoffs, and at least two of three won’t make it. Even Josh Allen is hanging on by dental floss. Figure out the offense, Broncos, because you may never have a cleaner path to the Super Bowl.
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