The Rockies are planning to select the contract of outfielder Wynton Bernard before tomorrow’s series opener with the Diamondbacks, reports Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette. Colorado will need to create corresponding vacancies on both the active and 40-man rosters.
It’s the culmination of a decade-long journey in the minor leagues for Bernard. Originally a 35th-round pick of the Padres out of Niagara University back in 2012, the right-handed hitting outfielder didn’t reach Double-A in the San Diego system. He was released before the 2014 campaign but latched on with the Tigers on a minor league deal. He’d spend the next three years in the Detroit organization, topping out at Triple-A, before qualifying for minor league free agency after 2016.
Bernard then bounced around as a depth player. He spent a year in the Giants’ system, then a season and a half at the upper levels of the Cubs’ organization. After a stint in independent ball, Bernard made his way to the Rockies heading into 2021. He played all of last season in Triple-A Albuquerque and returned there again in 2022.
The San Diego native has had a breakout showing this season. He’s tallied 376 plate appearances over 87 games, connecting on 17 home runs. Bernard owns a .325/.374/.588 line, striking out in only 14.6% of his plate appearances. He’s also stolen 26 bases in only 28 attempts and has played nearly all of his defensive innings in center field. Albuquerque’s extreme hitter-friendly nature no doubt helped Bernard to some extent, but there’s also little denying he’s earned the promotion with an excellent year. Bernard’s .962 OPS places fourth among 45 qualified Pacific Coast League hitters, to say nothing of the added value he’s brought on the basepaths and on defense.
Bernard has spent around seven years within somewhat close proximity to the majors, but he’d never reached the highest level. His persistence, coupled with this year’s strong season, earns him the long-awaited call a month away from his 32nd birthday.
He’ll be DFAed in 12hrs
Rockies don’t do that type of stuff.
Great story of perseverance. Imagine the call from the AAA Mgr telling you you’re heading to the MLB after being close enough to smell it, but never tasting it.
Now he gets to fulfill a dream & get a nice pay bump.
Well done Wynton!
You’re a nice guy buddy
Plus the Rockies have his rights thru his age 38 season before he hits free agency. Then they will lock him up to that long term contract, just like Bard. But seriously, what a great story! Hope they actually give him an opportunity to play some the rest of this year.
Sadly, mlb’s move to limit September callups will hamper too many stories like his from occurring in the future.
Blah blah blah
Good I want prospects to get called up not useless 4a players
Then you definitely aren’t going to get your wish. The 2 expanded spots aren’t going to go to prospects for most clubs they will go to AAAA players – the 27th and 28th best on the 40 man.
I hope your work considers you 4A
well overdue, good for him for finally making it after indy ball and time spent in Detroit’s 40-man
Heck yeah, I’ll be at the game on Saturday. Hope he gets a start. Rockies fans have been calling for this for months.
One corresponding move will probably be Daza to the IL after he dislocated his shoulder today. Not sure what they will do on the 40-man, maybe Bryant to the 60-day IL.
I dunno. Feels like it could be a DFA. Sean Bouchard would probably be the odd man out in that case. Although I could see Noah Davis being DFA’d also. He has been awful in AA this year at age 25.
Rockies do a lot of strange things, but DFA’ing a dude who’s OPS’ing over 1.000 in AAA (at age 26) would seem to take the cake! They’ll probably put Chacin on the 60 day or drop him. Or as the guy before you says, give up on Bryant returning.
Yeah I know he is hitting well in AAA, but he did poorly in the majors and there are just too many outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart.
If it was me, I might just cut loose Sam Hilliard. But I think the Rockies FO seems to like him for some reason.
I wonder if they would consider a DFA for Colome who has been awful the last couple of weeks. Give some younger guys experience rather than somebody who will be pitching elsewhere next year.
But I don’t think they have a pitcher on the 40-man who is a good candidate to replace him, unless Chacin is ready to come off the IL.
I agree about Colome. That is the one guy I feel they truly messed up by not trading. Another guy I wouldn’t mind seeing gone is Robert Stephenson. He gives up runs just about every time he enters the game. I get that he throws hard, but striking out the side after giving up three runs doesn’t really help the team.
Agree that there was no excuse for not trading Colome, who there should have been a market for since he had decent stats at the deadline. Even if it was just a salary dump for “cash considerations”, that would have given them some extra cash to extend somebody or sign a FA next winter, or hire an extra couple of scouts.
Stephenson is still pretty young and has a good arm, so I doubt they would give up on him this early.
Well I was close. Sheffield makes sense too. Awful AAA ERA and he is already 27.
Wonder if DJ Peterson get a shot at some point as well.
Long road Wynton, congrats bro!
My man about to get a massive pay raise.
For me it’s a tossup between the Rox and the Angels for the worst run MLB franchise. I have no clue why guys like Bard, Colome, Blackmon, Iglesius and several others were not moved at the trading deadline. This on the heels of 2021 when they simply let Story walk away without getting anything for him!
Okay, of those 2022 Rox I mentioned above who should have been traded, it’s worth noting that no extra money would have had to be spent on crowd control to harness the enthusiasm of the teams lining up to acquire any of them. But if the D-backs could get something for Peralta, the Rox certainly could have gotten some capital for one or more of those players.
Happy Bernard is going to get to enjoy MLB meal money, first-class hotels, charted flights and everything else that made the guy’s baseball dream come true. Hope the first time he comes to bat in the majors the Rox fans give him a standing-O!
Blackmon couldn’t be traded because of his 10-5 rights to decline any trade. Bard was extended. Iglesias was kept because they didn’t want to start Tovar’s service time clock in a lost season and didn’t have anyone else to cover short. Colome was probably kept because no one wanted him.
BTW, they got pick #31 Sterlin Thompson in the draft for Story. Probably a better return than what they were offered last year.