The Colorado Rockies have a lot of work to do if they want to become a winning baseball team again, but things seem to be trending in the right direction.

The Rockies have an exciting young core of players, led by All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, and the offense finished in the top five of multiple categories. That's despite the team finishing with a Major League Baseball-worst record of 58-104.

This is because Colorado's biggest issues don't have to do with its offense, but rather its pitching staff. The results the Rockies have posted on the mound in recent seasons have been abysmal, and it is going to take an overhaul to make the staff competitive. 

President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has a lot of work to do in that department this offseason. Given that he is not employed by a top-spending organization, it is not realistic to think that it will pursue a pitcher who is due for a big payday, but there are other options out there who can bring solid value at a reasonable price. 

One such pitcher is right-hander Dustin May.

May, 29, has accrued a lot of valuable experience during his seven seasons as an MLB pitcher. 

May's career began with the Los Angeles Dodgers and, after nearly six seasons with them, which included a World Series ring, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2025.

After finishing out the season in Boston, May elected free agency and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the course of 21 starts with St. Louis, May posted a 5-7 record and a 4.38 ERA over 109 innings of work.

May was then moved at the MLB Trade Deadline to the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he won his second World Series title after going 2-2 with a 5.65 ERA over 10 regular-season starts. He made five appearances for Milwaukee in the playoffs (two starts) and logged a 5.73 ERA in 11 innings.

It is clear that May is far from being an ace, but as it stands, he is more productive than any of the starters who pitched for the Rockies in 2026. When diving deeper into the metrics, May demonstrates an above-average fastball run value and extension, and his fastball velocity grades in the 85th percentile according to his Baseball Savant profile. 

From an intangible standpoint, May can also provide leadership, given that he has experience in high-leverage situations.

On Oct. 29, May declined a $20 million mutual option with the Brewers. There's no saying exactly what he will get in free agency, but if other teams pass on paying him more than $20 million and Colorado can get him at a more reasonable price, then it is certainly worth looking into.