Rockies Reassign Top Prospects Condon, Carrigg to Triple-A Albuquerque

Charlie Condon put up a 1.175 OPS in 20 Cactus League games. The Colorado Rockies sent him to minor-league camp anyway.

The Rockies reassigned Condon and fellow prospect Cole Carrigg to minor-league camp on March 20, with both players expected to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Albuquerque. Infielder/outfielder Vimael Machín was also reassigned. Colorado now has 40 active players remaining in major-league camp, including seven non-roster invitees.

Rockies GM Josh Byrnes framed the move in developmental terms. "Both of those guys had really good camps," Byrnes said. "He faced some really good arms and had some really good at-bats. There's no timeline, but he's very talented. With the way he finished last year and carrying that into the spring, there's a lot of good momentum for him right now."

The numbers back that assessment. Condon, 22, the Rockies' No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 70 overall, slashed .385/.457/.713 with three home runs in 39 at-bats this spring. Against fastballs 94 mph and above, he slugged .750. He also held his chase rate to 24 percent, a full 4.2 percentage points below last year's MLB average, while slugging .718 in those plate appearances. Condon's footwork and anticipation at first base have steadily improved since he settled there last season, and the Rockies added corner outfield work to his spring workload to increase his roster utility, a callback to positions he played during his two seasons at the University of Georgia before being selected third overall in the 2024 draft.

Condon's spring production built on a strong 2025 campaign. After a rough professional debut following his signing, he posted an .820 OPS over 99 games across three levels last season, finishing in Double-A. MLB.com named him the most likely Rookie of the Year candidate from the NL West heading into 2026.

That designation makes the timing of his reassignment pointed. By keeping Condon off the Opening Day roster for approximately two weeks, the Rockies can delay his service-time clock by a full year, pushing his earliest free agency from 2031 to 2032. It is the opposite approach the club took with pitcher Chase Dollander last year, who broke camp on the Opening Day roster. MLB's current collective bargaining agreement does include a provision allowing players to recoup service time by winning major awards like Rookie of the Year in their first season, but the Rockies were apparently unwilling to take that risk. With T.J. Rumfield now projected as the Opening Day first baseman, the organizational calculus is clear.

Carrigg's path to Albuquerque is less complicated. The 23-year-old switch-hitter, drafted 65th overall out of San Diego State in 2023 and ranked the Rockies' No. 6 prospect, posted a 1.039 OPS in 13 Cactus League games during his second major-league camp. He also represented Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, returning to his college position of shortstop for the tournament and collecting two hits and two walks in four games. Carrigg has played primarily center field since turning pro, and the WBC stint added shortstop back into his defensive profile heading into the Triple-A season.