March 30: Bernabel went unclaimed on waivers and has been a signed outright to Double-A Hartford, . Hell remain with the organization. March 28: The Rockies announced Thursday that theyve selected the contract of utilityman and opened a spot on the roster by designating third base prospect for a signment. Colorado also placed relievers and on the 15-day IL, as expected. The former is recovering from spring knee surgery and the latter from 2023 Tommy John surgery. Bernabel, 21, ranked seventh among Rockies prospects at Baseball America this Red Schoendienst Jersey time last year but has seen his stock drop considerably after a rough 2023 season. After a standout 2021 campaign in which he slashed .313/.370/.499 between Low-A and High-A, Bernabel batted only .225/.282/.367 in 83 Double-A games. A back injury cost him more than a month of the season and quite po sibly impacted his performance at the plate as well. BA dropped Bernabel to 27th in a poorly ranked Rockies farm system for the 2024 campaign, noting concerns about his below-average raw power and poor exit velocities. Bernabel has played third base in all but one game of his pro career, when he logged a brief two-inning stint at second base. Scouting reports credit him with an average arm and enough range to handle the hot corner, but hes not regarded as a plus defender at this time. He only spent one season on the Rockies 40-man roster before being designated for a signment, meaning he has two minor league option years remaining. That, paired with his youth and pre-2023 reputation could create interest from other clubs. The Rockies will have a week to trade Bernabel or attempt to pa s him through outright waivers. He doesnt have the prior outright a signment or service time needed to reject an outright a signment, so if he goes unclaimed, Colorado can retain him and send him back to the minors (presumably, a second stint at Double-A) without needing to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him. Bob Gibson Jersey