The Rockies have been searching for a new director of baseball operations since general manager Bill Schmidt left the club in early October. With the offseason officially here, the pressure is on to find the next leader of Colorado’s front office.
While Diamondbacks assistant general manager Emile Sodaye and Guardians assistant general manager Matt Foreman have both been finalists for the position in recent weeks, a report today from Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that neither Sodaye nor Foreman appear poised to be named the Rockies’ director of baseball operations, at least for now. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding adds that conversation with Sawdaye and Forman “productive” But the Rockies are still searching “It feels like it” While Sawdaye and Foreman are the only two publicly confirmed finalists, other candidates are still in the running.
It’s unclear if Sodaye and/or Foreman are still in the running for the job or if they are no longer under consideration, but it appears the Rockies will be without a suitable director of baseball operations for at least the first few days of the offseason. This isn’t entirely unheard of, as the Astros famously parted ways with James Creek early in the 2022-23 offseason and didn’t hire a new director of baseball operations until late January, with club president Jim Crane taking charge of baseball operations during the transition.
As previously mentioned, Sodaël and Foreman are the only two names confirmed to have been shortlisted for the role. Creek and Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp were involved in the search but are reportedly no longer considering it. Former Twins general manager Thad Levine was linked to the position immediately following Bill Schmidt’s departure, but has so far not confirmed whether he has spoken to the Rockies about the position.
Whoever ends up taking charge of baseball operations in Colorado, their first decision will be one that becomes less flexible as the search drags on. The Rockies finish the season with interim manager Warren Schaeffer at the helm, but his future, along with that of the rest of the organization’s coaching staff, will depend on who the club ultimately hires in baseball operations. If the team’s search for a new head of baseball operations drags on into the offseason, the continuity provided by keeping Schaeffer and much of the Rockies coaching staff with the team could become more valuable as other candidates take roles elsewhere in the league.
