Former Rockies First-Round Pick Lands Minor League Deal with Reds

This former Colorado Rockies slugger will try and resurrect his Major League career with the Cincinnati Reds.

General view of a players cap and glove of the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies broke with a couple of key members of previous draft classes after new leadership took over in November. One of them landed a minor league deal with a National League rival on Saturday.

Michael Toglia, a first baseman who broke out in 2024 but struggled so much last season that it led to a minor league demotion, agreed to a deal with the Reds then we'll offer him an invitation to Major League spring training, per Patrick Lyons of Rockies Insider.

Toglia was the Rockies’ first-round pick in 2019 out of UCLA. Colorado designated him for assignment in November. Another first-round pick, pitcher Ryan Rolison, has bounced around since he was DFAed in November. He was most recently claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs.

Toglia is another example of new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta parting with the past as he looks to rebuild the Rockies in 2026.

About Michael Toglia

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Toglia made his Major League debut in 2022 and struggled in his first two seasons, as he shuttled back and forth between Denver and Triple-A Albuquerque. He barely batted .200 in those two seasons in the Majors before he experienced a huge breakout in 2024.

That season he slashed .218/.311/.456 with 25 home runs and 55 RBI in 116 games. He set career highs in every category and while his slash was on the low side, Rockies management was optimistic that he would be able to build on that last season.

He quickly showed that wouldn’t be the case. After a brutal start to the season, he was optioned back to Albuquerque on May 31. He went back and forth three times during the season, as he slashed .190/.258/.353 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI. His numbers at Albuquerque, however, were incredible, as he slashed .331/.401/.624 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI in 42 games.

Toglia’s inability to translate what he was able to do at Albuquerque to the Majors is clearly what led to Colorado giving up on him. By season's end he was at Triple-A while Blaine Crim, a minor league cast-off from the Texas Rangers, not only took over at first base but produced the kind of numbers the Rockies were hoping for. He is expected to be the starting first baseman in 2026.

The switch-hitter now turns to the Reds for an opportunity to capitalize on the obvious production he showed in the minor leagues.

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