The Colorado Rockies has reportedly found their 2025 second baseman as MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports the team has inked Thairo Estrada to a one-year deal. Estrada will earn $3.25 million with the Rockies in 2025 with a mutual option for 2026 and a $750,000 buyout, making it a $4 million guarantee. If the option isn’t exercised, Estrada will still be arbitration-eligible for the final time in 2026.

Entering the Winter Meetings the Rockies made it clear that second base was going to be a priority position following a non-tender of Brendan Rodgers. Many assumed that question had been answered by the signing of Kyle Farmer, but instead, it appears Estrada will instead handle the position while Farmer is used as more of a utility infielder.

In talking to the media on Monday, general manager Bill Schmidt emphasized a desire to fill their organization with depth and veteran options to allow developmental opportunities for their younger players, particularly improving the bench which should also allow them to rest their regulars more.

Estrada, 29 in February, first arrived on the scene with the New York Yankees in 2019 before truly making a name for himself following a trade to the San Francisco Giants before the 2021 season. Over his four seasons with the Giants, Estrada batted .254/.303/.398 with a 96 OPS+ in 408 games with 44 home runs and 180 RB alongside 47 stolen bases. However, most of that production came in 2022 and 2023 where in over 312 games he slashed .266/.320/.416 with a 105 wRC+, 45 stolen bases, and 4.0 rWAR.

2024 was a year plagued by injury and ineffectiveness as Estrada was limited to 96 games and batted a meager .217/.247/.343 with nine home runs. He suffered two stints on the injured list due to wrist injuries and likely spent most of the year dealing with other ailments that had a detrimental effect on his offensive production. Despite his defensive capabilities, the Giants couldn’t justify giving him playing time and outrighted him to Triple-A at the end of August, allowing Estrada to become a free agent at the end of the season.

The Rockies will now hope that Estrada can follow the same playbook the team used in 2022 at shortstop. that season the Rockies signed Jose Iglesias on a one-year deal to serve as a placeholder veteran until top shortstop prospect Ezequiel Tovar was deemed ready to take over. Iglesias proved capable through the season, batting .292/.328/.380 in 118 games, being worth 1.2 rWAR. Tovar needed time to develop and now after two full seasons has firmly cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone.

Estrada will now try to do the same thing at second base as the Rockies wait for prospects like Adael Amador and Ryan Ritter to develop in the minors. Both have yet to play above Double-A and have struggled in various aspects. Amador made a brief big-league appearance in 2024 and struggled at the plate while the learning curve of second base was still apparent. He started to return to his normal self after heading back to Double-A, but there is still development that needs to be had. Ryan Ritter performed well in the Arizona Fall League after a strong year in Double-A and has certainly risen up the depth chart.

Thomas Harding of MLB.com connected the Rockies to Estrada last week, sighting the team’s desire to have a more permanent player at the position while allowing Farmer and 2024 rookie Aaron Schunk to serve as utility infielders. Estrada can also play across the diamond, but second base is certainly his primary position, where he was worth 9 Outs Above Average in 2024. As it stands, he will complete an infield that features four-time Gold Glove finalist Ryan McMahon at third, 2024 Gold Glove winner Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and quality glove Michael Toglia at first base.

As finishing second in strikeouts in 2024, the Rockies are hoping that Estrada’s contact ability will help improve their team on-base percentage. He doesn’t differ much offensively from Brendan Rodgers as both have below-league-average strikeout rates and don’t walk very much. Estrada does hold the advantage of a lower groundball rate but that is contrasted by a lesser hard-hit rate. On paper, there isn’t much difference between the two players but the Rockies likely enjoy the slight financial reduction by signing Estrada and getting the same realm of production with a few more stolen bases.

It’s uncertain what other moves the Rockies may make this winter, but most will likely fall in the vain of signing catcher Austin Nola to a minor league deal to build their depth as they wait to see what young players can break through and contribute. The team is reportedly still looking for a veteran reliever or two and perhaps a corner outfield bat should the opportunity arise.

Once the deal is finalized, pending a physical and due to the fact Estrada is of the country currently, the Rockies will have a full-40 man roster.