Bud Black spoke with the media about Chase Dollander, Michael Toglia, and the potential catching competition
On the eve of the first full-squad workout, Bud Black was the only member of the Colorado Rockies to speak with the media. But he talked about many different players, including Chase Dollander, Michael Toglia, and the catching crew.
Of Dollander, Patrick Saunders asked about his maturity as a young player.
“I think that’s the thing that’s stood out for me,” Black said, “and the conversations I’ve had with player development and our front office since we drafted him have centered around not only the talent and the stuff, but also the guy, the person.
Dollander was drafted in 2023, so he has a few years of pro ball under his belt, but Black thinks “his poise, his confidence, his self-assurance is real and genuine.” He also said Dollander has “good perspective.”
“He knows he’s young and has a lot to learn, but there’s a confidence in there that you like to see.”
Another interesting tidbit that came out of the Dollander conversation was when Thomas Harding asked about how NIL might be impacting player development now that college players have access to companies and technology that could perhaps make them better faster.
On that, Black noted that he doesn’t have a lot of experience in the NIL world as it relates to college prospects or young minor leaguers, but he did say that the resources that are available for young athletes are “off the charts.”
“You can get anything you want,” he said.
“And on the other end of that, there are a whole bunch of people who are trying to get in there, too. They’re trying to get a piece of that, and a part of that player. And that’s good and bad. There has to be some sort of filtering system from a player’s perspective and the player’s camp, whether that’s parents, advisors, agents, whoever that is. At the end of the day, you figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.”
Moving along, Black was also asked about Michael Toglia and potential next steps for the first baseman after his breakout 2024 campaign. He specifically pointed out Toglia’s durability and defensive prowess, as well as the incremental improvements he’s made offensively.
“As far as durability goes, I think he has the will to play and wants to play a lot,” Black said. “I think there has to be that in the player — ‘I’m an everyday player and I want to play every day.’ There’s a mindset, and I think he has that.
“The defensive side is real,” Black continued. “He’s a really good defender, and I think in time, he will get his due nationally, both inside the game and outside the game. But that takes time. You’ve got to pass the test of time during your first couple of years and you’ve got to perform and do it and then people start recognizing that it’s real.”
Finally, Black marked some spots where Toglia should improve offensively. He hit 20+ homers last year, but they’re working on “lowering the strikeout rate and putting the ball in play more in certain situations to get RBIs.”
That all said, he does see Toglia as a foundational player going forward. And the Rockies have not had any conversations with him about abandoning switch hitting. That all came from “outside the organization.”
The final major topic of the presser was about the potential catching competition. Black made it clear that Jacob Stallings was the veteran starter, but that Aaron Nola was signed as a “Stallings-type player, a solid veteran presence.”
He indicated that Nola would catch some, but turned his attention to the trio of young catchers — Hunter Goodman, Drew Romo and Braxton Fulford — and each of their strengths.
“Goodman has a potential bat with power and does some good things with game calling. Romo has a good overall defensive skillset with a strong arm, quick feet and blocks. He’s eager to learn and a switch hitter. Fulford is probably technically the best catcher of the three. If you were to put a bunch of catching instructors out, they’d say Fulford has a good arm stroke and good arm strength with good hands. He hasn’t hit a ton in the minors, but he hit well in the second half.”
Black also said the team told Goodman to only focus on catching over the winter, “to be fair to him because I think his best chance to make the team will be there. Not to discount that he can’t do the other things — we’ll see how spring goes and what happens to the rest of the group. But I didn’t want his attention diverted. That’s unfair to him if we’re thinking about having him as one of our catchers.”
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Check back tomorrow for more notes from Salt River Fields.
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