Well, the offseason is here for the Colorado Rockies and it's time for president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes to get to work.

This season, the Rockies put up a fourth straight 100-plus-loss season. It's not the finish the front office or manager Warren Schaeffer wanted to see happen. There were some notable improvements when looking at the roster.

Yet there is plenty of room for improvement. DePodesta did comment on what he's seeing in the Rockies right now. He talked about it with Thomas Harding of MLB.com on Sunday.

“The most positive thing that has come from this year is, with a whole new group in place, we’ve identified a number of pieces -- a core of a playoff team here in Colorado,” DePodesta told Harding. “We need to grow that core, and I think we have to some degree this year, but we need to continue.”

The obvious center of this nucleus is catcher Hunter Goodman, who put together a 40-plus home run season and proved to be the power bat in the middle of the lineup. Of course, young players like TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg just totally produced after coming up to the big leagues.

DePodesta was watching the team closely all season long. The Rockies did not finish this season strong at all, which was fresh on his mind in the interview.

“Unfortunately, the way we played the final six weeks has left a sour taste in our mouths, and the mouths of our fans and supporters as well, for good reason,” DePodesta said.

“We’re disappointed with how we played, and that has overshadowed a lot of the progress we have made through the course of the year -- early in the season and I still believe it now," he said.

When the Rockies take the field next season (depending upon how the MLB lockout situation is solved), a slew of new starting pitchers could be in the fold. There's no doubt that having to take starters out too early in ballgames put a lot of pressure on the bullpen. 

Relievers can only do so much and, well, the bullpen corps tried to do its best and keep Colorado in ballgames. Don't be surprised if DePodesta and Byrnes also make this a top priority, too.

Schaeffer spent all season working to mold and shape the on-field product in his image of success. Players showed toughness and determination when the Rockies went down early in ballgames. Those young players seemed to infuse the team with a new level of urgency.

Let's not forget about how Jake McCarthy really contributed this season, too. Imagine having him, Mickey Moniak, Carrigg, and Goodman as that nucleus for Colorado.

That's definitely something to grow on going forward. And DePodesta does see something that is taking shape to be playoff team. He's not just satisfied with a ballclub that had 10-plus more wins in 2026 than they did in 2025.

Getting a proud Rockies franchise back into the playoff chat obviously means a lot to the Rockies' front office.

They will be looking to improve where it is needed. So, keep your eyes on what DePodesta and Byrnes put together for Colorado.