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Wynton Bernard

Rockies Sign Wynton Bernard To Minor League Deal

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In a move that eluded MLBTR last week, the Rockies recently signed outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league contract. He was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque and has already appeared in six games there.

It’s a familiar setting for the minor league journeyman. Bernard spent most of the 2021-22 campaigns in Albuquerque as well. After more than a decade in the minors, he reached the majors last August when Colorado selected his contract. The Niagara product appeared in 12 big league contests, hitting .286/.286/.310 through 42 trips to the dish.

The Rockies outrighted Bernard off their 40-man roster at season’s end. He signed a non-roster pact with the Blue Jays in January and spent the bulk of the year with their top affiliate in Buffalo. Through 264 plate appearances, the right-handed hitter put together a solid .271/.360/.393 batting line. He walked at a strong 11.4% clip, kept his strikeout rate a tad below 20%, and stole 15 bases in 18 tries.

Toronto released Bernard a week ago. He signed back with Colorado a day later to again offer non-roster depth at all three outfield spots. The Rockies could look to move impending free agents Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk at this summer’s trade deadline, which might open a late-season opportunity for Bernard to get another look at the highest level.

Blue Jays, Wynton Bernard Agree To Minor League Contract

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The Blue Jays are signing outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (on Twitter). The 32-year-old will be in big league Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.

Bernard has spent over a decade in the professional ranks. Initially a 35th-round pick of the Padres in 2012, the Niagara product landed with the Tigers on a minor league deal a couple seasons later. He’s typically hit well enough in the minors to continue to find opportunities, landing subsequent depth roles with the Giants, Cubs and Rockies. He continued to bide his time in search of an MLB look.

At long last, he earned that desired call late last summer. Bernard had mashed at a .333/.387/.590 clip through 108 games with the Rox’s top affiliate in Albuquerque, connecting on 21 home runs and stealing 30 bases in 35 tries. The Rockies brought him up in mid-August, where he got some limited runtime in the outfield. He appeared in 12 MLB games, hitting .286/.286/.310 over his first 42 trips to the plate. Colorado ran him through outright waivers at the end of the year, sending him back to minor league free agency.

While it was a brief first MLB call, it no doubt served as some vindication for the San Diego native. Bernard’s 2022 showing was aided to some extent by the Pacific Coast League’s extremely hitter-friendly environment, but he’s typically performed at an above-average level throughout his time in the minors. He’s a career .289/.350/.424 minor league hitter, sporting a .273/.328/.435 mark through parts of six Triple-A campaigns.

Bernard is an excellent runner who’s capable of covering all three outfield spots. He’ll slot in behind Nathan Lukes — who was added to the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason — as a speed/defense depth outfielder. Bernard figures to open the season with Triple-A Buffalo. He still has two option years remaining, so the Jays would be able to shuttle him between Toronto and Buffalo if he claims a 40-man spot at any point.

Rockies Outright Three Players

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The Rockies announced they’ve outrighted three players — pitchers Ty Blach and Helcris Olivarez and outfielder Wynton Bernard — off their 40-man roster. Colorado also confirmed the losses of catcher Dom Nuñez and infielder Ryan Vilade on waivers. Removing those five from the 40-man drops their tally to 32.

A former Giants starter, Blach inked a minor league deal with his hometown Rockies over the offseason. He made Colorado’s roster out of Spring Training and pitched in long relief. Blach soaked up 44 1/3 mostly low-leverage innings for the Rox, posting a 5.89 ERA. The soft-tossing southpaw only struck out 15% of batters faced but had an excellent 5.7% walk rate and a useful 43% grounder rate. He has between three and four years of big league service and would’ve been eligible for arbitration this offseason. Blach was only projected for an $800K salary, but the Rox will reallocate his roster spot.

Olivarez has never pitched in the big leagues. Colorado selected him onto the 40-man roster over the 2020-21 offseason to keep him being taken in the Rule 5 draft. The hard-throwing southpaw had been a quality prospect during his early days in the farm system, but he managed only a 6.05 ERA in 99 2/3 High-A innings in 2021. He spent almost all of this year on the injured list with a shoulder strain.

Bernard is a minor league veteran who began his professional career a decade ago. He made his MLB debut at age 32 this August, earning the long-awaited call after a .333/.387/.590 showing in Triple-A. He started 10 games in the big leagues and collected 12 hits in 42 at-bats, but he didn’t draw a walk and only managed one extra-base hit (a double).

Blach and Bernard have the right to refuse an outright assignment in favor of minor league free agency. Olivarez, on the other hand, will stick in the organization for 2023 and look to work his way back onto the 40-man roster.

Rockies Designate Jordan Sheffield For Assignment

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The Rockies announced they’ve designated reliever Jordan Sheffield for assignment. The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Wynton Bernard, whose previously-reported contract selection has been made official. Colorado placed center fielder Yonathan Daza (separated left shoulder) and catcher Elias Díaz (left wrist sprain) on the 10-day injured list, recalling Dom Nuñez to take Díaz’s spot behind the dish.

Sheffield, a former supplemental first-round pick of the Dodgers, landed in Colorado over the 2020-21 offseason via the Rule 5 draft. He spent all of last season in the majors, as required for a team to retain a Rule 5 pick’s rights. Sheffield worked as a low-leverage arm for skipper Bud Black, pitching to a 3.38 ERA across 29 1/3 innings. His strikeout and walk rates (17.2% and 11.2%, respectively) didn’t align with that quality run prevention. Nevertheless, Sheffield averaged 96.4 MPH with top-of-the-scale raw spin on his four-seam fastball, making him an interesting long-term relief option for the Rox.

Things have fallen apart during the Vanderbilt product’s second year in the organization. He’s made only two big league appearances, with his fastball velocity sitting at a diminished 93.7 MPH. He’s been blasted over 21 appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque, posting an 11.21 ERA with just a 16.3% strikeout rate and a huge 19.6% walk percentage. He’s also surrendered eight home runs in only 17 2/3 innings.

The Rockies will place Sheffield on waivers over the next few days. He’s never previously been outrighted, meaning the organization could keep him around without requiring a 40-man roster spot if he goes unclaimed. That seems likely, given the extent of his struggles in Triple-A this season.

Rockies To Select Wynton Bernard

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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.

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