When the Colorado Rockies opted to designate pitcher Ryan Rolison for assignment, it signaled the likely end of his career in Denver.
Just a day after DFA’ing him, the Rockies found a taker, as they traded the left-hander to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations, per Rolison’s MLB.com page.
By designating him for assignment, the Rockies had the option to try and trade him for something, put him on waivers and, if he cleared waivers, option him back to Triple-A. Now, the former first-round pick out of Ole Miss is done in Denver.
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Selected as the No. 22 overall pick in 2018, the hope was that Rolison would make a quick path to Colorado. It certainly didn’t work out that way, as he struggled to get a foothold in the system and finally made his MLB debut in 2025.
The Rockies selected his contract in November of 2021 in the hope that he was ready to challenge for a job in 2022. He was coming off a 4-3 season with a 5.27 ERA that saw him reach Albuquerque. He struck out 77, walked 22, threw 71.2 innings and allowed batters to hit .272 against him.
But he never pitched in 2022 as a shoulder injury sidelined him for the entire season. He remained on the injured list going into the 2023 season, returned to the field and then went back on the IL with another injury. After the season ended he was outrighted back to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room on the 40-man roster. He pitched in four games in 2023.
He finally got healthy in 2024, but the Rockies moved him into a relief role to see if he was better suited for that. He pitched for three different affiliates, went 2-3 with a 4.47 ERA and threw in 29 games, but only five starts. He threw 46.1 innings, gave up 15 walks and struck out 35. Batters hit .254 against him.
On May 11, the Rockies finally called him up to make his MLB debut and he was on an option yo-yo the rest of the season as he worked out of the bullpen. He stayed off the injured list and pitched in 31 games. He went 1-0 with a 7.02 ERA in 42.1 innings, with 25 strikeouts and 20 walks. He also allowed batters to hit .324 against him.
With a new regime, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, it’s likely that failed first-round picks like Rolison could be exiting the organization soon. For Rolison, Atlanta represents a change of scenery and gives him a second chance to carve out a Major League career that never panned out with the Rockies.  Â