The New York Yankees have signed Jarred Kelenic to a minor league deal, according to Major League Baseball's transaction log.
Kelenic was once thought to be a future star. The New York Mets selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. The Mets traded him to the Seattle Mariners in a deal for Robinson Cano and Edwin Díaz. Kelenic rose through the prospect ranks and was the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball in 2021.
That year, he made his debut and played in 93 games for the Mariners. He had just a .181 batting average. The following season was not much better, as he hit .141 in 54 games.
In 2023, he had a decent season, hitting .253 with a .746 OPS. He hit 11 home runs for the Mariners and had a total of 38 extra-base hits. However, the Mariners saw it as an opportunity to trade him.
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The Atlanta Braves acquired him in a deal that netted Seattle Cole Phillips and Jackson Kowar. Kelenic was not great in his two seasons with the Braves, hitting .22 in 155 games with the team. He elected free agency from the Braves and has since then spent time with the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers.
He has played in 36 big-league games this year between the White Sox and Rangers. He has a .601 OPS, but is hitting .316 with a .996 OPS in Triple-A. The Yankees assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in his debut.
This is a no-risk move for the Yankees and gives them some added outfield depth. Kelenic was once thought of as a very talented player with a high ceiling, and perhaps the Yankees can help him reach his full potential.