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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 reliever Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox in exchange for outfield prospect Braiden Ward. 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.
Bernardino, 33, was at times a productive reliever for Boston last season, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 55 outings (51 ⅔ innings). Opponents hit just .205 against him, but walks have hurt him (4.5 walks per nine innings). Bernardino pitched in 167 games for the Red Sox over the last three years, posting a 3.46 ERA with 157 strikeouts.
The speedy Ward, a left-handed hitter, has yet to make his big-league debut. He swiped 57 bases on 64 attempts in 97 games for Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025. He batted .290 with a .786 OPS, two home runs, 17 doubles, four triples, and 37 RBIs in 368 plate appearances at two minor league levels.
The Rockies 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.
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Patrick Saunders
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