Cincinnati Reds Add Michael Toglia on Minor League Contract

The Cincinnati Reds just took a shot in the dark, signing former Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia to a minor-league deal. It’s a classic Reds move—chase raw power and hope their player development staff can patch up the rough edges.

Toglia’s reputation is no secret. He’s got big-time strength, real patience at the plate, and a swing that misses way too often. That’s been true since his minor-league days.

Reds Take a Chance on Power Potential

The Reds picked up Toglia after the Rockies non-tendered him in November. His time in Colorado never really clicked, and now at 27, he’s not exactly a prospect, but there’s still something there.

Cincinnati loves rolling the dice on guys who once flashed promise. With Toglia, the draw is obvious: left-handed pop, a good eye, and that first-round draft label. But the contact? That’s been missing.

A Familiar Pattern in Colorado

Toglia’s 2025 was a loop of ups and downs. He kept bouncing between the Rockies and Triple-A Albuquerque, never quite settling in or catching fire.

He’d show some power, then struggle to put the ball in play, and just couldn’t lock down a steady job.

Breakout Power Undercut by Strikeouts

Still, Toglia’s 2024 numbers jump off the page. He hit 25 homers in just 116 games, and his 98 wRC+ showed he was almost league-average, even with all the strikeouts.

His approach at the plate looked solid, too. Toglia walked nearly 12% of the time, which says a lot about his patience. When he made contact, it was loud.

Elite Quality of Contact

Statcast backed up the hype in 2024. He landed in the 98th percentile for barrel rate and 94th percentile for hard-hit rate.

That’s serious power. Scouts have always said Toglia’s pop is the real deal, and the numbers agree.

The Contact Issues That Won’t Go Away

But here’s the rub: Toglia just doesn’t make enough contact. Early in 2025, his strikeout rate shot up to 39.1%. That’s almost impossible to work around.

He got sent down after that, and even when he came back, the same problems stuck around.

A Chronic Concern

This isn’t some new quirk. Toglia’s been fighting swing-and-miss issues forever.

His minor-league numbers said he knew the strike zone, but big-league arms have made it a different story.

Why the Reds Are Interested

So why bother? For the Reds, it’s a no-brainer. The minor-league deal barely costs them anything.

If Toglia can just cut the strikeouts a bit, his power could show up in a hurry. The Reds seem to believe their hitting coaches might help him figure out which pitches to swing at and which to let go. Maybe that’s all it takes to let his power finally break through.

A Low-Risk, High-Upside Bet

I’ve watched a lot of teams try to build something out of nothing, and honestly, this is the sort of move they should be making. If it works out, the reward is huge.

If it flops, well, nobody’s going to lose sleep over the cost.

Michael Toglia’s career is at a crossroads now. Can Cincinnati pull off what Colorado couldn’t?

It all comes down to a simple thing, really: can they finally help him make more contact at the plate?

 
Here is the source article for this story: Reds Sign Michael Toglia To Minor League Deal