NFL’s richest owners plan to seize control of MLB’s worst team and overhaul failing $1.7bn franchise

The Colorado Rockies are again one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball.

But a franchise with a 55-89 record in 2026 could receive a huge financial boost in the near future.

getty

Denver Broncos owners Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner also own 40 percent of the Rockies, who began play in 1993 and hold an all-time record of 2,419 wins and 2,906 losses.

But there’s hidden geographic and on-field value in the Rockies, and the super-wealthy Broncos owners intend to become even more involved in baseball while attempting to push Sean Payton‘s Broncos to a Super Bowl.

The Penners plan to eventually gain a controlling ownership interest in the Rockies, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The timing hinges on MLB‘s upcoming labor battle after the completion of the 2026 season, which could see a lengthy lockout delay the start of the ’27 campaign.

The Broncos owners could emerge with an additional 35 percent of Rockies ownership once MLB produces a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“Greg and Carrie have proven that they share the same passion for our region and a strong commitment to compete at the highest level,” Rockies chairman & CEO Dick Monfort said in April, when the Penners were brough in as minority investors.

“We are thrilled to add them to the Colorado Rockies’ ownership group as we best position this franchise for long-term sustained success.”

The Walton-Penner group is backed by the famous Walmart empire.

That group purchased the Broncos in 2022 for a then-record value of $4.6 billion.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks — who kick off the 2026 season on Wednesday with a rematch vs Drake Maye and the New England Patriots — recently sold for a new NFL record of $9.6bn, more than doubling the Walter-Penner group’s purchase price of the Broncos.

getty

getty

The Penners have been well received since taking over the Broncos, and they plan to build a new $4bn roofed stadium.

Denver is coming off a strong 14-3 record and AFC West division title.

The Broncos are again a Super Bowl favorite in 2026, while quarterback Bo Nix has received a new receiving weapon in veteran wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Fixing the Rockies won’t be as easy, though.

The Denver-based team — whose $1.69bn estimated value ranks 25th among 30 MLB teams — has only made the playoffs five times in 34 years.

Bud Black is the winningest manager in franchise history, but holds a .441 winning percentage.

Getty

NFL's Greatest......

Ranking the top 10......

Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?

Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?

Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more

Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?

Todd Helton, Larry Walker, Troy Tulowitzki and Charlie Blackmon rank among the most popular players in Rockies history.

Yet pitching has long been a problem for Colorado, while the team hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018.

Last year, the Rockies lost 119 games and finished as one of the worst teams in MLB history.

The Penners will be forced to overhaul on-field and off-the-field operations if they take over the Rockies — and somehow build a consistent baseball winner in Denver.

Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.
On Tuesdays Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk with players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.