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Acquired alongside left-handed starting pitcher Kendry Rojas in the last-minute trade deadline deal that sent the pride of North St. Paul, Louis Varland, to the Toronto Blue Jays, left-handed hitting outfielder Alan Roden instantly got run in a full-time role with the new-look Minnesota Twins, playing in 12 of the club’s first 13 post-trade deadline games. The 25-year-old prospect moved among all three outfield spots, earning eight starts in left field and two in center field. The former Blue Jay also mixed into right field, sliding over as a defensive substitution in two games. 

Despite quickly becoming a fixture in Minnesota’s lineup, Roden sustained a left thumb sprain on Aug. 10 that became worse with further aggravation, resulting in him being placed on the 60-day IL on Aug. 16 and prematurely ending his rookie campaign. Before sustaining his injury, Roden struggled at the plate with Minnesota, hitting .158/.200/.263, with six hits, one double, one home run, and a 26 wRC+ over 40 plate appearances. The left-handed hitting rookie’s struggles weren’t unique to Minnesota; he’d hit a similarly lackluster .204/.283/.306, with 20 hits, five doubles, one home run, and a 66 wRC+ over 113 plate appearances with Toronto. 

Thankfully, Roden underwent successful thumb surgery on Friday, meaning he should be able to compete for a 26-man roster spot come Spring Training. Interestingly, though, some sections of Twins Territory have already soured on Roden, less than one month into his Twins tenure. Yes, Roden struggled at the plate over 40 plate appearances. Yet, much of the angst surrounding the 25-year-old outfielder is seemingly the result of those who follow the club feeling bitter that Twins decision-makers parted ways with a Minnesota-born fan favorite to acquire him. 

Of course, it’s impossible to really judge Roden based on the small sample of playing time he’s accrued in the majors so far. It’s equally unwieldy, this particular summer, to consider a player and their relationship with the fan base outside the context of last month’s fire sale. Right now, fans can only view Roden through the dingy curtain of that alienating sequence of events: players being traded, and then the franchise being taken off the market.

Unlike the Pohlad family (and most billionaires), Roden is an accessible figure. Angered fans who watched the club post-deadline could identify the 25-year-old outfielder and direct their overwhelming sense of discontent and malaise onto him. Entering this offseason, though, those who follow the team should detach their initial perceptions of Roden from ownership’s ineptitude, and instead analyze and assess him as a young, inexperienced outfielder who just graduated from prospect status. 

When assessing Roden through this lens, one soon realizes he possesses the tools necessary to quickly become an above-average MLB contributor in the field and at the plate. Sporting a hit-over-power profile with near-elite plate discipline, Roden has excelled in Toronto’s minor-league system since being drafted in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft, quickly ascending to Double-A in 2023 and generating a 138 wRC+ over 530 combined plate appearances between Double- and Triple-A in 2024. 

Roden’s success in the high minors continued this season, as he hit .331/.423/.496 with a 9.2% strikeout rate and 149 wRC+ over 142 plate appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. As mentioned earlier, Roden’s minor-league success has been the result of him making exceptional swing decisions, while possessing a high-contact profile and above-average power. 

Controlling the zone, the left-handed hitting outfielder can keep up with high-velocity pitches while being able to contend with breaking and offspeed pitches, meaning he should be able to counter adjustments made by major-league pitching. While he has yet to be able to effectively do so (again, he only has 153 major-league plate appearances), there is reason to hope that can change.

Assuming Twins decision-makers part ways with veteran outfielder Trevor Larnach this offseason, Roden will be in line to become the club’s Opening Day left fielder. Fellow left-handed hitting outfielders James Outman and Matt Wallner could cut into his playing time. Yet, given his plus defense in a corner outfield spot (a skillset Wallner does not possess) while possessing the potential to become an above-average hitter (a skillset Outman does not possess), he should find some real opportunities.

That said, Roden’s opportunity window to blossom into an everyday starting outfielder for Minnesota could be small, given top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins‘s proximity to the majors. Both top-ranked prospects could make their debuts in 2026. If they can produce at the plate while exhibiting good health, they could entrench themselves as everyday starting outfielders alongside franchise cornerstone centerfield Byron Buxton, making Wallner, Outman, and Roden’s skillsets redundant. For now, though, Roden is well-positioned to become a full-time starter for Minnesota early next season. Despite his small-sample struggles with the Twins this season, there is reason to believe he could rise to the occasion. 

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