Bill Schmidt Steps Down as Rockies GM After 43-119 Record for 2025 MLB Season

Colorado Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt has stepped down from his role following the worst season in franchise history, the club announced Wednesday.

Schmidt had served in his role since 2021. The Rockies will "immediately" begin a search for his replacement, according to the club.

The Rockies marked a 43-119 record in 2025, setting a franchise record low with a .265 win percentage and an MLB record with a minus-424 run differential.

Rockies executive vice president Walker Monfort said in a statement the club was looking for "the right leader from outside our organization" who could bring "a fresh perspective" and "new vision" to Colorado.

This will mark the first time the Rockies have looked outside the organization for a new leader of baseball operations since hiring general manager Dan O'Dowd in 1999, per MLB.com's Thomas Harding.

Schmidt has worked with the Rockies since 1999, when he was first hired by O'Dowd as the club's director of scouting. He later served as vice president of scouting and interim general manager.

As leader of the Rockies' MLB draft strategy, Harding reports Schmidt helped shape the rosters that went on some of the deepest postseason runs in franchise history, including a 2007 World Series appearance and trips to the NLDS in 2009 and 2018.

Schmidt took over as general manager after the 2021 season, months after the Rockies and Jeff Bridich parted ways following the controversial trade of star infielder Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rockies have spent the four seasons since Schmidt's hiring in the basement of the NL West, struggling through three 100-loss seasons and marking an overall record of 231-417 (.356 win percentage) over that span.

The club's 7-33 start to the 2025 season led to the May dismissal of manager Bud Black. It is not yet known if interim manager Warren Schaeffer, another internal promotion from within the organization, will return in 2026 after lead the Rockies to a 36-86 finish.

Whichever external hire takes over this offseason will be tasked with improving the worst team in MLB without any hope of receiving the No. 1 pick of the upcoming draft. Rockies are ineligible for a lottery pick in 2026 after earning top-10 picks in each of the last two drafts.