Jarred Kelenic has a new home for 2026.
Former Seattle Mariners outfielder and top prospect Jarred Kelenic is now trying to hang onto his big-league career.
According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Kelenic signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox, and he'll report to spring training just trying to make the team.
About Kelenic
Still just 26 years old, Kelenic was drafted No. 6 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft out of the Wisconsin high school ranks. The New York Mets selected him and he became the centerpiece of the pre-2019 Mariners deal that sent Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to New York. He was supposed to pair with Julio Rodriguez to make up the M's outfield of the future, but it never materialized for him in Seattle.
His Mariners tenure
Kelenic made his debut with the Mariners in 2021 and struggled with widespread inconsistency. He had 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 93 games, but he hit just .181 and struck out 106 times. In 2022, he played only 54 big-league games, hitting .141 with seven home runs and 61 strikeouts.
It looked like he had turned a corner with a hot start in 2023, but he finished with a .253 average and 11 home runs in 105 games. He also missed time with a foot injury after kicking a water cooler in the M's dugout.
The Mariners traded him to the Atlanta Braves after the 2023 season.
MORE MARINERS STORIES:
His time in Atlanta
The M's were looking to dump salary heading into 2024, which is the reason why they traded Eugenio Suarez to the Diamondbacks. Well, they also sent out Marco Gonzales and Evan White to Atlanta, along with Kelenic, clearing the big contracts of White and Gonzales. Kelenic would play 155 games in two seasons for Atlanta, hitting .222 with 17 home runs. He played only 24 big-league games in 2025.
Prospects with the White Sox
The White Sox had the worst record in the American League last season, so if there's a place to get opportunity, it's there. That said, Chicago is showing signs of emerging from its rebuild, as they are armed with several big-time prospects and just signed Munetaka Murakami in free agency. As of now, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. are locked in as starters. Kelenic will have to battle with the likes of Brooks Baldwin, Everson Pereira, Derrick Hill and Tristan Peters, who are also on the 40-man roster. Kelenic is not.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!