Any hopes of Jarred Kelenic growing into the Atlanta Braves’ next superstar outfielder essentially ended when his disappointing .531 OPS landed him at Triple-A Gwinnett before the calendar even hit May.
Kelenic’s second Braves season began disastrously, with him racking up only two RBI (both on solo home runs) and -0.6 bWAR in only 65 plate appearances. Although the Braves cited on-field performance for his demotion, the move came within days of failing to hustle in an April 19 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
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Remember when Kelenic was a consensus top-4 prospect in Major League Baseball? If the Braves decide they’re done with Kelenic, we’re sure at least one team will keep the past in mind—and perhaps that team should be the Toronto Blue Jays.
Atlanta Braves right fielder Jarred KelenicDavid Frerker-Imagn Images
Kelenic, who turns 26 in July, makes far more sense for the Blue Jays than one might think. He still has three years of team control, potentially giving Toronto a motivated young outfielder amid a transitional period.
The inconsistent Blue Jays (22-24) entered Monday with a .698 OPS, slightly below the league average of .710. Only six fewer teams have fewer homers than the Blue Jays’ 40 bombs, and that’s despite employing proven power hitters like Anthony Santander, Bo Bichette, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
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Kelenic likely wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, cost the Blue Jays much. The Braves arguably destroyed his trade value when they chose Alex Verdugo and Eddie Rosario over him.
While the Blue Jays may not need Kelenic, it’s hard to argue against adding a young outfielder with power and team control. The worst-case scenario is that he flames out in Toronto just as he did in Seattle and, at this rate, in Atlanta.
The best-case scenario, though, is a former top prospect breaking out and finding ways to torment the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. That alone should sound pretty good to the Blue Jays.
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