Should Nationals Take Chance on Recently Non-Tendered Former First Round Slugger?
In this story:
At this stage of the offseason, adding talent to the entire organization is the name of the game for every team across Major League Baseball, and the Washington Nationals are no different.
There haven't been a whole lot of additions that have taken place this winter thus far, as the signing of right-handed pitcher Eddy Yean to a minor league deal and the re-signing of previous shortstop-turned-pitcher Erick Mejia have been the only moves of note.
However, now that there are more players available on the market following the non-tender deadline coming and going, there's a chance for Paul Toboni to look around and see if any of those new free agents fit with his roster-building vision.
Could Nationals Take Chance on Michael Toglia?
Someone who is now an option is Michael Toglia, the previous first-round pick of the 2019 draft by the Colorado Rockies who wasn't tendered a contract by his former team due to a horrendous 2025 campaign.
On the surface, there isn't a whole lot to get excited about with the 27-year-old. He has a ton of swing and miss and a sky-high strikeout rate, which is a main reason why he is no longer playing for the Rockies. He also is considered a below average defender at first base with a minus-11 outs above average value and a minus-seven fielding run value, despite his defensive runs saved number being plus-10.
Colorado reportedly grew frustrated with Toglia this past season. Coming off a year in 2024 where he hit 25 home runs and had an OPS+ that was two points above the league average of 100 across 118 games, there was some hope he could be their everyday first baseman despite his poor batting average numbers. But he regressed once again and is now looking for a new team.
Michael Toglia crushes this pitch 462 feet 😯 pic.twitter.com/I9rjhci35y
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2024
Knowing all of that -- and factoring in that he has a career slash line of .201/.278/.389 across 280 major league games -- why should the Nationals even have remote interest in Toglia?
It's because they don't seem to have many other options at first base. With Josh Bell a free agent, the only true first baseman on the 40-man roster is Andres Chaparro, who has not had a great MLB career thus far. 20th-ranked prospect Yohandy Morales could be an option, but he doesn't seem like he'll be the Opening Day starter barring an incredible showing in spring. And unless the front office makes a splash trade or signing this winter, those will likely be the available choices.
So adding Toglia on a minor league deal could have some value. Yes, there is a lot of concern about him as a player. He doesn't make a ton of contact and has a hard time putting the ball in play consistently. However, he could also be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Washington.
Michael Toglia has all the tools to be an elite player in MLB. An immensely underrated 2024 season shows the talent is there.
— John Martinello (@martinello_john) November 19, 2025
A low-risk, high-reward signing for whoever lands him. https://t.co/BfPS1ZQHrr pic.twitter.com/ifTq6ptRhg
During his 2024 season, he flashed his high upside with a barrel rate (17.3%) that was in the 98th percentile, a hard-hit rate (50.2%) that was in the 94th percentile and an average exit velocity (92.1 mph) that was in the 91st percentile.
Again, he still had major issues with chase rate (57th percentile), K rate (fourth percentile) and whiff rate (third percentile) that year. But when he connected with the ball, he showed why the Rockies decided to take him in the first round of the 2019 draft.
At least adding Toglia to this organization is something the Nationals should consider. Because like some of the other players throughout the roster and down on the farm, he could be a major beneficiary from this new regime that is in place.
And if that were to take place, then Washington could finally have the productive power-hitting first baseman they have been lacking for years.
More Nationals News
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai