With free agency now underway, the Blue Jays have not been shy about their desire to improve their roster. The club has reported interest in many of the top free agents available, shaping up to be a critical offseason for Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins.

Corner outfield has been identified as a position that the club will look to bolster, with several intriguing free-agent options available. There are also a handful of young players in the organization who could easily play themselves into a featured role in the outfield in 2025.

Joey Loperfido and Jonatan Clase were both acquired at last year’s trade deadline, each possessing the tools to become a Major League starter in their separate ways. However, homegrown outfielder Alan Roden may offer even more potential moving forward.

Roden was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, playing 25 games with Single-A Dunedin at the tail end of the season. His numbers didn’t pop off the page, but he did show the plate discipline that would prove to be his biggest strength over the next couple of seasons.

The former Creighton Blue Jay started 2023 with high-A Vancouver, earning himself a call-up after 69 games after slashing .321/.437/.459. He didn’t miss a beat since joining double-A New Hampshire, slashing a near identical .310/.421/.460. The on-base skills have been there from the get-go for Roden, adding in 24 steals across both levels in 2023.

The Middleton, Wisconsin native started 2024 with New Hampshire again, working himself up to triple-A Buffalo after 54 games. He seemed to get better as the year went along, pacing the Bisons’ offense by the end of the season as the team’s best overall hitter. He was also named the International League Player of the Month for August. The on-base percentage remained high for Roden in 2024 (.373 in AA, .406 in AAA) but what was most impressive was how he steadily hit for more and more power.

Roden’s ISO (isolated power) has increased with every season and promotion he’s received, culminating in a career-high .196 mark in his 71 games with Buffalo last year. The 5’11” 215-pounder hit 16 home runs in 125 games split between double-A and triple-A, leaving hope that he could develop into a 20+ homer guy in the Major Leagues. The increased power may have led to fewer stolen base opportunities in 2024 (14 bags compared to 24 a year prior) but he’s a guy who can take a bag here and there as well. The phenomenal season led to a Bisons MVP award and the honour of being named the Blue Jays Minor League player of the year by Baseball America.

The Blue Jays haven’t had a notable outfield prospect for quite some time, making Roden’s ascension all the more exciting. His game is not all that different from current Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who also carried insanely high on-base percentages through the upper minors before debuting in Toronto last year. Roden has the potential to offer a bit more power and speed than Horwitz, but their offensive profiles are more similar than different. If all breaks right, the Blue Jays could easily slot both Horwitz and Roden in the top four spots in their batting order, providing baserunners and lineup protection for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Adding a slugging outfielder like Anthony Santander could complement each player’s strengths as well.

Given the lack of power from the club last year (26th in the Major Leagues in home runs), there’s a chance that the club decides against starting two players with similar on-base over power skillsets at positions where power is typically provided. Especially considering the trade for Loperfido last year, the Blue Jays could easily elect to trade Roden while his stock is perhaps the highest for help at another position.

Everything is on the table for Toronto this offseason, with their plan to improve likely to become clear only after several months. Roden certainly could be a valuable trade chip if the club wants to prioritize winning right away. But given the 24-year-old’s steadily improving play, trading him may be a move that the team regrets in the long run.