Alan Roden
This is where things get tricky, but we're looking for value and we're looking for realism. Roden, the Blue Jays' third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft has done absolutely nothing but hit since the moment he made his professional debut. The Blue Jays' 2024 Minor Leaguer of the Year has not made his big league debut just yet, he's very, very close.
Roden, 24, had an outstanding year in Triple-A this past season and is good enough to crack many teams' Opening Day rosters in the upcoming campaign. In 125 games between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit 16 home runs while driving in 75 runs, posting a .293 average and .865 OPS along the way. He's always going to be a low-strikeout, high-walk player who can steal some bases and hit for high average, too.
This past season, Roden came across more raw power that many in the industry were unsure he'd even uncover. He's always been more of a contact-oriented player, but 36 extra-base hits with 16 of those going over the fence is not bad for a player whose power was in question.
The Blue Jays don't have a left fielder penciled in to their Opening Day lineup in 2025, but there's a ton of players set to compete for the spot. Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Davis Schneider, Jonatan Clase and Steward Berroa are all on the 40-man roster - while Roden is not - and will be fighting for playing time. Of that bunch, Roden easily has the highest trade value, so why not try and sell-high when he's so freshly coming off of an incredible offensive campaign?