It's Time for the Twins to Promote Alan Roden

[Matthew Taylor]

The Minnesota Twins have reached the point where waiting on Alan Roden simply doesn't make much sense anymore.

When the Twins acquired Roden and Kendry Rojas from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline in exchange for Louis Varland, the move was viewed as one that could help both the present and the future. Rojas arrived as a talented young starting pitching prospect with plenty of upside, but Roden was the more polished, major league ready player. The Twins didn't trade for him because they thought he needed another full season in Triple-A. They traded for him because they believed he was close to helping them win games in Minnesota.

Unfortunately, Twins fans barely got to see him after the trade. Roden appeared in only 12 games before suffering a thumb injury that ended his season, putting his Twins debut on hold almost as soon as it began.

That momentum carried into spring training, where it became increasingly apparent that Roden deserved a spot on the Opening Day roster. He spent camp competing with James Outman for the final outfield job, and it was hard to argue that Roden hadn't outperformed him. Instead, the Twins opted for roster flexibility. Because Roden still had minor league options remaining while Outman did not, Roden was sent to St. Paul despite looking like the better baseball choice.

The decision was understandable from a roster management perspective, but it always felt temporary. Roden appeared to be first in line whenever the Twins needed another outfielder, and that opportunity looked like it was only days away before another injury derailed his season. In April, Roden tore the labrum in his right shoulder, forcing him back to the injured list just as the door to the majors was beginning to open.

Now he is healthy again, and he is reminding everyone exactly why the Twins wanted him in the first place.

Since returning from injury on June 6, Roden has been one of the most productive hitters in Triple-A, batting .333 with six home runs. Just as encouraging has been his approach at the plate. He has drawn 14 walks while striking out only 12 times, continuing to show the advanced strike zone awareness that has defined his professional career. He has also spent a significant amount of time playing center field, giving the Twins another layer of defensive flexibility.

The timing could not be better because this lineup desperately needs another hitter capable of getting on base. Since the start of June, Trevor Larnach and Luke Keaschall are the only Twins with an on-base percentage above .350. Too often this offense has struggled to sustain rallies because hitters are expanding the strike zone instead of forcing pitchers to work. Roden has built his entire offensive profile around doing exactly that. He consistently puts together competitive at-bats, works deep counts and reaches base, skills that translate regardless of whether he is hitting home runs.

At 26 years old with nearly 1,500 career minor league plate appearances, Roden has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. The Twins acquired him because they believed he was major league ready. Every additional week he spends dominating minor league pitching feels like a week that accomplishes very little for either Roden or the organization. If anything, keeping him in St. Paul now seems to contradict the very reason they targeted him at the trade deadline.

His fit also extends well beyond the batter's box. Byron Buxton returned to center field on Saturday after missing the entire Houston series because of another hip aggravation. While Buxton remains one of the best players in baseball when healthy, the Twins also need to acknowledge that they cannot expect him to play every day for the remainder of the season.

Right now, their backup plan has been moving Ryan Kreidler from shortstop to center field whenever Buxton is unavailable. Kreidler is more than capable of handling center, but that move creates another problem by forcing Tristan Gray into the lineup at shortstop. Gray owns just a 67 OPS+ this season, and his defense has left plenty to be desired. Instead of weakening two positions at once, the Twins could leave Kreidler where he is strongest defensively while allowing Roden to handle center field against right-handed pitching and on days when Buxton serves as the designated hitter.

It is a move that strengthens both the lineup and the defense while giving Buxton the flexibility to stay healthy over the final three months of the season. Roden's left-handed bat makes him a natural platoon partner in center field, and his disciplined offensive approach fills one of the biggest holes currently on the roster.

The Twins traded for Alan Roden because they believed he was ready to contribute in the major leagues. Injuries delayed that opportunity, but they should not delay it any longer. He is healthy, he is producing, and he has already proven everything there is to prove in Triple-A.

The Twins need another quality hitter, another capable center fielder and another reliable way to keep Byron Buxton fresh. Alan Roden checks every one of those boxes.

Do you think the Twins should finally call up Alan Roden, or would you make a different roster move? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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[mikelink45]

Jenkins first!  We have an abundance of OF options in the minors - thats what made Outman such a bad decision.  Gray, Martin, Fedko can all be replaced. 

[DJL44]

It is time to play him or trade him. He is not going to develop any further in AAA.

[DJL44]

3 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Jenkins first!  We have an abundance of OF options in the minors - thats what made Outman such a bad decision.  Gray, Martin, Fedko can all be replaced. 

Jenkins isn’t hitting as well as Roden in AAA.

[mickster]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Jenkins isn’t hitting as well as Roden in AAA.

Jenkins can wait until 2027.   Roden is needed to replace Fedko now

[Jack207]

They need to replace Fedko with Roden.

[HrbieFan]

We have too many average bats in Minneapolis and St Paul. Fedko is an easy swap out right now for Roden. Jeffers should be called up shortly and they can't move Jackson without risk of losing him on wakvers and we will need him when Jeffers is traded in a few weeks. 

[mikelink45]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Jenkins isn’t hitting as well as Roden in AAA.

I like the potential for Jenkins to succeed over the 55 games Roden has played in the majors so far.  I am not against Roden having another chance but I am ready to see what Jenkins can do.  

[Jeff K]

The Twins spring training decision to keep Outman was, and remains, frustrating.  It's hard to imagine any team claiming Outman had he been waived.  And if they did, so what?  That said, I would like to see both Jenkins and Roden called up.  Fedko and Martin sent down although I don't recall if Martin has options remaining.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

17 minutes ago, mickster said:

Jenkins can wait until 2027.   Roden is needed to replace Fedko now

I think that's the best move for now. 

[jmlease1]

Would like to see Roden up; it'll make the team more LH, but they're not really using Fedko anyways so what difference does it make? Would also like to see Culpepper up ASAP and to end the Tristin Gray experiment, sliding Kreidler into the role he's best suited for: defensive minded utility guy who can crank a homer if a pitcher hangs one/doesn't take him seriously at the plate.

Need to find out what we have in him, but also need to have guys that we are actually going to play in every roster spot, and Fedko doesn't seem to have much trust from Shelton.

[bean5302]

51 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

I like the potential for Jenkins to succeed over the 55 games Roden has played in the majors so far.  I am not against Roden having another chance but I am ready to see what Jenkins can do.  

Exactly what is it about Jenkins' SSS of "above average" production in AAA which has you so enamored? He ranks 78th of 265 International League hitters with 100+ plate appearances this year with a wRC+ 117.

Any explanation other than Hype-a-saurus Rex, please.

[Blyleven2011]

As usual the organization is slow to demote and to promote ...

[twinstalker]

Spring training 2025 I thought Roden was a decent prospect.  He homered a lot to get my attention, then I looked at his minor league history.  Decent prospect, chance of platooning in MLB.

My guess now is that he's a AAAA guy, because this just shouldn't be so difficult.  Perhaps he's someone who can't hit vs high velocity.  There are a lot out there who can't.  But before we put that nail in his coffin...for gawd's sake, give him his final chance before he's too old to get out of his chair.

[CRF]

Dump Gray and get Roden up here. 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

I like the potential for Jenkins to succeed over the 55 games Roden has played in the majors so far.  I am not against Roden having another chance but I am ready to see what Jenkins can do.  

That’s fine, but it is in direct contrast to the statistical record where Roden has 100 points more OPS in AAA.

[Casey Anderson]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

Jenkins first!  We have an abundance of OF options in the minors - thats what made Outman such a bad decision.  Gray, Martin, Fedko can all be replaced. 

I believe Jenkins would have to be added to the 40 man where Roden is already on there. It would be seamless to add Roden if Buxton goes on the IL. Jenkins would require moving someone off. Zoll has shown he is hesitant to move someone off the 40 man unless it's 100% necessary.

[greglw333]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Jenkins isn’t hitting as well as Roden in AAA.

 

23 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Exactly what is it about Jenkins' SSS of "above average" production in AAA which has you so enamored? He ranks 78th of 265 International League hitters with 100+ plate appearances this year with a wRC+ 117.

Any explanation other than Hype-a-saurus Rex, please.

Jenkins has, in about a third of a season, a .385 on base percentage. Most people would be enamored with that.

He’s stolen 7 bases in 8 attempts. That projects to 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts. Most people would be enamored with that.

And is hitting .272. However, that .272 includes a strong trajectory that has him hitting .314 since he came back from his injury including back to back games with 3 hits (when he fell a homer short of the cycle) and 2 hits. He’s trending well.

His .440 slugging percentage is not superb but respectable. All in all, if he could replicate those stats in the majors, he would arguably have the best statistical set on the Twins, besting Larnach with the stolen bases and a near standoff with the avg. and obp.

 

[greglw333]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

That’s fine, but it is in direct contrast to the statistical record where Roden has 100 points more OPS in AAA.

Roden's OBP at St. Paul this year is .397 and Jenkins’s is .385. That’s 12 points, not 100! They both have a .272 average.

Roden is out slugging Jenkins but Jenkins has hit .314 since returning from injury and Roden’s average of .272 represent a fairly precipitous recent drop.

[greglw333]

9 minutes ago, Casey Anderson said:

I believe Jenkins would have to be added to the 40 man where Roden is already on there. It would be seamless to add Roden if Buxton goes on the IL. Jenkins would require moving someone off. Zoll has shown he is hesitant to move someone off the 40 man unless it's 100% necessary.

Travis Adams, please!

[greglw333]

43 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

As usual the organization is slow to demote and to promote ...

Unless you’re a pitcher, then they have a shuttle bus ready at all times to whisk the next guy to St. Paul and shuttle in the next AAA pitcher to the Twins. With mixed results. Travis Adams has been a disaster, Laweryson, so-so and Gomez and Morris, pretty smashing successes so far. Let’s hope Go is strong, I like his 41.1 IP with 21 H in AA and AAA combined and the .1xx batting averages allowed both places.

[tony&rodney]

Patience. Outman could not be sent down. Like others he was given opportunity. Now he is gone and he plays a similar role for Detroit. Unfortunately Roden was injured when Wallner and Outman were sent out. Now the Twins have Larnach and Martin playing left field and Keaschall in right field. Fedko is the RH hitting outfielder who mostly comes in to run and play defense. 

The opening may be if Byron Buxton gets put on the IL. I don't think the Twins envision Roden filling the 13th person position roster slot. Today's article may be timely if Buck is down until after the All Star break. 

By August 4 people may get their wish regarding Roden. It does seem like the games from now until the Seattle series will decide how the Twins react concerning the trade deadline. Trades may open a roster spot or free Roden to play for another team. Right now, with Larnach and Keaschall playing well, there doesn't seem to be any playing time available for him.

Alan Roden is doing his part by continuing to hit and have strong PA at AAA. He is making his case. I'm not sure why people choose to make attempts to put down Walker Jenkins in their hopes that Roden gets promoted. I would be really surprised if anyone could find one of the professionals who evaluate players to pick Roden over Jenkins. Jenkins is a better defensive player, runs better, and has the better swing. I watch a ton of the Saints games and like Roden a fair amount. Jenkins is the better baseball player and it doesn't have anything to do with draft position. I hope Roden gets an opportunity at the MLB level. I'll leave it for the pros to decide when that occurs.

[TJSweens]

Keeping Outman simply because he was out of options was an abysmally stupid decision. The Twins kept a player, so bad he could only be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Wallner slumped and Outman was not an option to rotate into the lineup. Now Fedko has assumed that role. They've used Kriedler and Clemmens in CF, weakening an already bad defensive lineup. Meanwhile Roden went to AAA, hit the snot out of the ball, got hurt, came back and hit the snot out of the ball again. I was all for the Fedko experiment, but it failed. It's time to find out if Roden can hit major league pitching. If he can't we will add him to our growing scrap heap of LHB outfielders.

[EGFTShaw]

Poll asks: "Which team do you dislike the most in the AL Central?"
The Yankees. 😄

[Permanent Twins Fan]

2 hours ago, mickster said:

Jenkins can wait until 2027.   Roden is needed to replace Fedko now

The whole point of this season is to give the young guys a chance and see what we have heading into 2027 and 2028. I'm okay with calling up Roden before Jenkins, but Jenkins needs to be up with the team sometime this season. Give Roden a chance, but the priority the Twins need to have is developing guys who will be key pieces in the years to come. 

[DJL44]

30 minutes ago, greglw333 said:

Roden's OBP at St. Paul this year is .397 and Jenkins’s is .385. That’s 12 points, not 100! They both have a .272 average.

Roden is out slugging Jenkins but Jenkins has hit .314 since returning from injury and Roden’s average of .272 represent a fairly precipitous recent drop.

OPS includes slugging. On base plus slugging.

Roden has an OPS of 915 in 579 plate appearances at AAA. He’s a good bet to put up an OPS of 715 in the majors with good defense. The team could use that right now.

Jenkins has an OPS of 825 in 150 PA this season. He’s a good bet to put up an OPS of 625 in the majors this season. His upside is higher because he’s 5 years younger but all the statistics say Roden is the better player right now.

[TheLeviathan]

I love the idea but where exactly are we playing him?  Fedko may or may not have been superglued to the bench somewhere and we forgot him on the road trip.

This team needs to dump Larnach or Bell at the deadline or Roden is going to hit twice a week and not be able to get enough consistency for it to matter.

[Riverbrian]

11 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Patience. Outman could not be sent down. Like others he was given opportunity. Now he is gone and he plays a similar role for Detroit.

Actually... Outman is currently the starting CF in Detroit. He has started the past 10 games. Including 1 game against a Left Handed Pitcher. Somebody by the name of Malgeri appears to playing that role for the Tigers. 

Outman is still not hitting the ball but playing every day. Outman's tool gives him multiple chances to become what everyone seems to think he can become. The Dodgers didn't take him off the 40 man, The Twins traded for him. The Tigers scooped him up. He didn't clear waivers. Multiple front offices see value in Outman despite no performance. 

With Roden... I'm ok with calling him up as long as he gets some playing time.

He can have Fedko's roster spot.  

[bean5302]

56 minutes ago, greglw333 said:

 

Jenkins has, in about a third of a season, a .385 on base percentage. Most people would be enamored with that.

He’s stolen 7 bases in 8 attempts. That projects to 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts. Most people would be enamored with that.

And is hitting .272. However, that .272 includes a strong trajectory that has him hitting .314 since he came back from his injury including back to back games with 3 hits (when he fell a homer short of the cycle) and 2 hits. He’s trending well.

His .440 slugging percentage is not superb but respectable. All in all, if he could replicate those stats in the majors, he would arguably have the best statistical set on the Twins, besting Larnach with the stolen bases and a near standoff with the avg. and obp.

 

I see. You believe AAA and MLB have the same difficulty level so a prospects stats in AAA could be directly compared to active MLB players in MLB. Makes sense you'd be enamored with Jenkins based on that. 

[BrainerdGuy]

Welcome to TD Casey!  From one old timers to the rookie, enjoy "but watch out for in your ear!"