Chicago White Sox Add Jarred Kelenic On Minor League Deal
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The White Sox are taking a low-risk, high-reward chance on outfielder Jarred Kelenic, a former first-round pick who never quite panned out at the major league level.
As first reported by ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Kelenic joins the White Sox on a minor league contract and will be a non-roster invite to spring training. That means he's not on the 40-man roster, which is currently full after the recent signing of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.
What Jarred Kelenic brings to the White Sox
Kelenic, 26, is a 5-foot-11, 206-pound left-handed hitter who has at least 70 major league appearances at all three outfield positions. The New York Mets took Kelenic with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Waukesha High School in Wisconsin, and then traded him in December 2018 –– along with Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Gerson Bautista, and Justin Dunn –– to the Seattle Mariners for Edwin Díaz, Robinson Cano and $20 million.
Upon making his MLB debut with Seattle in 2021, Kelenic was ranked No. 4 among all prospects by MLB.com, ahead of Julio Rodriguez, MacKenzie Gore and Bobby Witt Jr. He showed intriguing power with 14 home runs in 93 games, but he finished with a 31.4% strikeout rate and a .181 batting average. He played just 54 games in the big leagues in 2022 and had similar numbers to his rookie season, though he posted an OPS over .900 in Triple-A for the second consecutive season.
By several measures, Kelenic's best season came with Seattle in 2023. He slashed .253/.327.419/.746 and was worth 2.1 wins above replacement in 416 plate appearances, good for career-high numbers in all categories.
Kelenic wasn't able to cut down on his strikeout rate, though, as he finished 2023 at 31.7%, which ranked 11th in MLB among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. That December, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves –– along with left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales, first baseman Evan White, cash considerations –– for right-handed pitchers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips.
Kelenic hit 15 home runs in 131 games with the Braves in 2024, though his strikeout rate remained quite high at 29.6%. His 2025 season was perhaps even more discouraging, as he posted a .595 OPS in 95 games with Triple-A Gwinnett and hit .167 in 24 games with the Braves while missing time due to injury.
White Sox outfield taking shape
The White Sox 40-man roster has six outfielders, including Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Benintendi, Brooks Baldwin, Everson Pereira, Tristan Peters and Derek Hill. Kelenic could have to earn his spot on the big-league roster with a strong spring training, though that might not be his only path to playing time.
Robert continues to be mentioned in trade rumors, and the recent signings of Peters and Kelenic could be seen as insurance in case a deal comes to fruition. Even if Robert stays on the White Sox, he and Benintendi were injury prone in 2024, so the White Sox could opt for additional outfield depth.
Somewhat similar to Kelenic, young players like Pereira, Peters and Baldwin have put up good numbers in Triple-A but haven't solidified themselves as everyday players in the big leagues. Robert and Benintendi would be the favorites for consistent playing time due to their experience, past success and salary, but it's shaping up to be an interesting battle for the third spot –– especially if top prospect Braden Montgomery joins the mix.
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Jack Ankony is the beat writer for “Chicago White Sox on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack
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