The Rockies’ search for a consistent, power-hitting first baseman is back to square one.
On Tuesday, the club designated 2019 first-round draft choice Michael Toglia for assignment as it reset its 40-man roster. The strikeout-prone Toglia, selected out of UCLA with the 23rd overall pick, never became the player that former general manager Bill Schmidt envisioned.
In 280 games over parts of four big-league seasons, Toglia slashed .201/.278/.389 (.666 OPS) with 42 home runs. Though Toglia showed flashes of power, his high strikeout rate made him a liability at the major league level. For his career, Toglia has a 35% strikeout rate, including a 39.2% K rate in 2025.
The Rockies also hoped that Kris Bryant would emerge as an option at first base, but his chronic back issues have sabotaged his career, and there is a chance he won’t play baseball again.
In other moves, the club acquired left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox. The Rockies also selected the contracts of left-hander Welinton Herrera, right-hander Gabriel Hughes, and outfielder Sterlin Thompson, adding them to the 40-man roster.
The club also cleared space on the 40-man roster by designating right-hander Ryan Rolison for assignment. Rolison was a first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2018 draft out of the University of Mississippi. Rolison battled shoulder injuries before he made his big-league debut in 2025. He appeared in 31 games, posting a 7.02 ERA.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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