Story byBilly HeyenSun, January 11, 2026 at 2:34 AM UTC·1 min readReds sign slugger who hit 25 home runs in 2024 for NL West club originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Cincinnati Reds need all the thump they can get. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTheir pitching staff is great, and their lineup is well rounded, but there isn't a lot of power-hitting going on for Cincy. So in free agency on Saturday, they signed a sleeper who definitely has some pop in his bat. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Reds have signed Michael Toglia to a minor league deal. Toglia had a great 2024 MLB season when he slugged 25 home runs for the Rockies. He hit just 11 homers in 2025 as he struggled and spent a bunch of time in Triple-A. MORE: How Josh Allen became eternal hope for the Bills as the playoffs beginThe Rockies non-tendered Toglia after the season, which sent him into free agency and allowed him to be signed elsewhere. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis strikeout rate was the problem in 2025, and he'll have to do better with that to make his future brighter for Cincy. Toglia is 27 years old. He was a first-round pick by the Rockies in the 2019 MLB Draft out of UCLA. The 6-foot-5 lefty has played in parts of four MLB seasons. He has 42 homers in 280 MLB games with a .201 average and .666 OPS. In that strong 2024 season, he had a .767 OPS. That's the player the Reds are hoping they are getting. More NFL news:A priest played a part in the Steelers' miraculous win over the RavensA missed field goal changed everything for Mike Tomlin and John HarbaughWe now know Lamar Jackson's role in John Harbaugh's firingSteelers' DK Metcalf, back from suspension, is a monster in the playoffsThe Colts ran a fake punt on first downTravis Kelce uses New Heights to share a major retirement update.
