With Tuesday\u2019s deadline to firm up 40-man rosters to protect players from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Colorado Rockies designated two former first-round picks for assignment and made a trade that adds a new face to the bullpen mix.<\/p>\n
Michael Toglia, Colorado\u2019s 2025 Opening Day first baseman and a first-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft, was designated for assignment after a season (and career) where he struggled mightily with strikeouts and production.<\/p>\n
The player once thought to have a bright future at first base with the Rockies logged just 337 plate appearances last season and struck out in 39.2% of those. His 35% career strikeout rate was well above the MLB average of 22.5 and was one of the big reasons why he was demoted to Triple-A on May 31 and earned just seven at-bats over the final two months of the regular season.<\/p>\n
Joining Toglia on the DFA list was left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison, the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. Overcoming several injuries, Rolison made his Rockies debut last season and pitched in 31 games, registering a 7.02 ERA in 42.1 innings.<\/p>\n
While the Rockies jettisoned one southpaw, they added another through a trade with the Boston Red Sox.<\/p>\n
Brennan Bernardino, who went 4-3 with a 3.14 ERA, one save, 26 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 51.2 innings over 55 games, was added to the roster and could be a left-handed option for the 2026 Colorado bullpen. In exchange for Bernardino, the Rockies sent outfielder Braiden Ward, who advanced to Triple-A last season after being drafted in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB draft, to the Red Sox.<\/p>\n
Also added to Colorado\u2019s 40-man roster on Tuesday were pitchers Welinton Herrera and Gabriel Hughes, as well as outfielder Sterlin Thompson. <\/p>\n
All three rank among Colorado\u2019s top 20 prospects according to MLB.com, with Herrera putting up some interesting numbers during his recent Arizona Fall League run. The 21-year-old left-hander struck out 14 in 9.0 AFL relief innings while posting a 2.00 ERA. However, he also walked eight and opponents hit .257 against him, showing there is work to be done.<\/p>\n
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