The non-tender deadline has come and gone, presenting an opportunity for many surprises in the roster shuffle and the Colorado Rockies announced their own as they have non-tendered second baseman Brendan Rodgers and right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill.

The moves clearly aim to cut the Rockies’ payroll and allow younger players to get more action and development at the big-league level. Rodgers and Quantrill were both entering their final year of arbitration, with Rodgers projected to earn about $6 million and Quantrill about $9 million.

The cutting of Rodgers, 28, may come as more of a surprise. Drafted third overall in 2015, Rodgers was often projected as the Rockies top prospect through his first couple of seasons. However, injuries hampered his career in the minors as well as the big leagues, preventing him from reaching the potential cornerstone spot on the Rockies roster. He certainly flashed potential with power at the plate occasionally, but the inconsistencies along with the injuries ran the well of goodwill dry.

In 2024, Rodgers batted .267/.314/.407 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 135 games. Over his six seasons with Colorado, Rodgers has a career slash of .266/.316/.409 and a 90 OPS+ with 45 home runs in just 452 games. Rodgers has only played in 100 or more games just three times. His best overall year came in 2022 when he played in a career-high 137 games and batted .266/.325/.408 while also winning a Gold Glove at second base. However, that year seemed to be more of an outlier defensively as he has fallen to average metrics.

Offensively, Rodgers never quite reached the heights projected for him in Colorado. His ability to make contact is undeniable, and he strikes out less than the league average, but a 53.2% career groundball rate is tough to reconcile as a player who draws a less-than-league-average number of walks.

Adael Amador, 21, has been tabbed as the heir apparent for the starting job at second base and the top prospect made a brief appearance with the big league squad in 2024. Amador slashed .171/.194/.200 in 36 plate appearances, going 6-for-35 with a double. Well known for his plate vision in the minors, he struck out six times and walked just once while it was obvious he was still learning how to play second base after converting to the position because of Ezequiel Tovar. The Rockies could also give Aaron Schunk a regular look at the position to allow Amador to overcome some struggles in the minors or perhaps fellow prospect Ryan Ritter to usurp the spot. The Rockies also have veteran infielder Owen Miller as a potential non-roster candidate for the position. Of course, they could also look to add from outside.

Quantrill, 29, was acquired via trade with the Cleveland Guardians a year ago and had a mixed year in Colorado. After a phenomenal first two months that saw Qunatrill deliver an abundance of quality starts for the Rockies, he began to falter in June through the rest of the season.

In May alone, he went 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in five starts, striking out 32 and walking just nine. Through his first 14 starts, he posted a 3.30 ERA with eight home runs allowed but had a 6.88 ERA with 15 home runs allowed over his last 15 starts.

On the year, he went 8-11 with a 4.98 ERA in 29 starts. It was Quantrill’s first full season healthy since 2022 and he’ll certainly find a job elsewhere as pitching is always needed. The change of scenery could be good for the competitive Quantrill that attacked Coors Field head-on and posted a 4.91 ERA at home, better than what he did on the road.

Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reported that the team had tried to swing trades for both Quantrill and Rodgers but couldn’t find anything that they felt was worth making.

Additionally, the Rockies announced they avoided arbitration with left-handed reliever Lucas Gilbreath and outfielder Sam Hilliard. While no announcement has been made, it is assumed the Rockies tendered contracts to all other eligible players.

The Rockies currently have 38 players on the 40-man roster