Rockies owner Dick Monfort says organization will increase payroll this winter in letter to season ticket holders

Was 2016 the start of something good? Yes. While I hated to see this season end, I am excited for what lies ahead. We are on the right path, and we could not have persevered without the support of dedicated fans like you. For you, our fans, our employees and our team, we are committed to working hard again this offseason to put the right pieces in place to make postseason baseball a reality in 2017 and beyond.

You have invested in us and we will continue to invest in you, both in terms of growing our player payroll and providing the best service and ballpark experience in sports. In order to accomplish this, we are faced with the annual challenge of how we can grow our business in a league where most teams are pricing their most loyal customers out. Going into 2017, we will keep our average Season Ticket price among the lowest of all 30 Major League clubs, but we will make moderate increases in a few seating areas, keeping the majority of our ticket prices the same. As always, Season Ticket Holders save at least 40% over the individual ticket price. Additionally, by popular demand, we are happy to offer our Loyalty Card for all returning Season Ticket Holders for the fifth year in a row. This card provides financial and game service benefits that I hope all of you take full advantage of in 2017.

As we enter the busy offseason, we will be naming a new manager to lead a talented club, and every member of our organization will be preparing for a successful 2017 campaign and beyond. Coors Field is your home and you are an integral part of the Rockies family, so we hope you are as excited as we are for what lies ahead. Thank you and GO ROCKIES!

Sincerely,

In the Baseball Operations Department, October baseball is always our focus and we will continue to work hard every day to bring the postseason back to Colorado. Of course this October is significant in another way, requiring decisions that will greatly impact our Octobers to come.

At the top of our offseason priority list is selecting the manager to lead this club, followed closely by the coaching staff around him. The search includes internal and external candidates and the coming weeks will be busy with interviews. We are already encouraged by the individuals who have expressed interest in managing our team – men with experience and respect in the game. As with any search of this magnitude, there will be speculation, but know that we will share the final decision with you as soon as it’s made.

The offseason is always a time of evaluation and reflection. Combined with the manager search, we expect to have a very productive six months leading up to Opening Day. Reflecting on some standout individual performances, as well as areas of improvement, these offseason discussions will touch on topics such as: (1) capitalizing on core veteran talent like Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez; (2) developing young pitchers like Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estevez and German Marquez at the Major League level; (3) seasoning rookies likeTrevor Story, David Dahl, Tony Wolters, Tom Murphy and Raimel Tapia; and (4) shoring up the bullpen with veteran and young arms to support a healthy Adam Ottavino.

We learned a lot about this team in 2016 and we also saw the tremendous upside it has. We believe in what this group can accomplish in the near future. Your dedication to this team is reflected in your investment as a Season Ticket Holder and, on behalf of our organization and especially everyone in the clubhouse who wears the Rockies uniform every day, we thank you for standing by us. We appreciate your support through thick and thin, and we look forward to seeing you in 2017.