After posting a league-worst 5.41 ERA as a relief corp in 2024, the Colorado Rockies decided to move on from bullpen coach Reid Cornelius a few weeks ago. As his replacement, the Rockies stayed in-house and named former Rockies catcher Dustin Garneau as the bullpen coach for the 2025 season.

Our new bullpen coach ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UrAPoZ8Hdj

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) October 24, 2024

Garneau, 37, slides into the new big league position after working as the organization’s catching coordinator for the past two years. Originally drafted by the Rockies in 2009 in the 19th round, Garneau spent parts of eight seasons in the Major Leagues before retiring in 2022.

He initially made his debut with the Rockies in 2015 where he played 22 games and slashed .157/.224/.286 in his first big league stint. He would go on to play parts of three seasons in Colorado from 2015-17, batting .199/.259/.335 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 68 games. He then became a journeyman catcher playing for the Oakland A’s, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers while making other minor league stops. In 168 games he slashed .205/.285/.375 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI.

Despite the offensive numbers, Garneau was well-regarded as a catcher behind the plate. He holds a career .989 fielding percentage and a 4.25 ERA including two seasons in Colorado where he had an ERA under four while catching.

Garneau returned to the Rockies organization in July 2021 for a brief stint in Triple-A Albuquerque after the Tigers had released him, but was later purchased by the Tigers from the Rockies in early August. Following his retirement it didn’t take long for the Rockies to bring Garneau back into the fold in a coaching position to serve as the catching coordinator and work with the various receivers in the farm system.

He now looks to help a young relief group develop at the big league level and provide the knowledge and expertise that come from being a former catcher. Catchers are essentially pitching coaches on the field and it’s not uncommon for them to fill up pitching coach roles. Garneau is the first to do so for the Rockies since Fred Kendall from 2000-02. The team is surely hoping his familiarity with the Coors Field environment and modern era of baseball will be instrumental in helping the bullpen develop into a contending piece for the near future.