Rockies raise ticket prices about 12 percent after a record fourth straight 100-loss season

"It's never fun and there's never a right time," Monfort said, according to the Associated Press. "Obviously, coming off of another 100-loss season, that's not easy to justify." He said the increase is meant to narrow the gap between Rockies ticket prices and the MLB average. "Everything that we do from a business perspective, it's about becoming more competitive on the baseball field."

The win total rose by 15 games from last year's 43-119, but Colorado still became the first team since the 1962-65 New York Mets to lose 100 or more games in four straight seasons. The Rockies fell apart late, going 8-30 over their final 38 games, and no Colorado starter earned a win after Aug. 26.

"We've talked about progress, and I do think it's important to talk about progress, but let's not mistake it for being good," said Paul DePodesta, the club's president of baseball operations. "We're pleased with the progress, but we're not pleased yet with where we are." DePodesta likened the season to "having a decent meal and then waiting 45 minutes for the check," adding, "When it ends badly, it just leaves a bad taste."

Monfort and DePodesta covered wide ground in the end-of-season interview with reporters. Manager Warren Schaeffer received a vote of confidence, the club is staying ready for a possible lockout, and injured slugger Kris Bryant, limited to 170 games with Colorado since signing a $182 million, seven-year contract before the 2022 season, remains a question mark. "Obviously, Kris wasn't able to play this year, so we just have to continue to stay in touch with him and see how things progress through the course of this offseason," DePodesta said. "I think we have to continue to move forward from a roster-building standpoint as if we're not going to have him. If we do, then that's a great bonus."

On the ownership structure, Monfort said the April minority investment from Denver Broncos owners Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner's Penner Sports Group helped the club clear debt taken on during the COVID era. "There's not a plan for that," Monfort said of selling a majority stake. "We're in a much better financial position today because of that partnership than we would have been had we not entered into it."

DePodesta pointed to young players as reasons for optimism: first baseman TJ Rumfield, acquired from the New York Yankees in January, hit .300, and outfielder Jake McCarthy, acquired from Arizona in January, hit 15 home runs and stole 32 bases. "Our expectation is there will be a significant leap next year," DePodesta said.