ST. LOUIS – The Texas Rangers have signed former top-prospect-turned-much-travelled-journeyman Jarred Kelenic to a minor league deal. He will report to Triple-A Round Rock.
Kelenic, still only 26, was the sixth overall pick by the New York Mets in 2019, but the Rangers will be his fifth organization. He was released by the Chicago White Sox on Saturday after clearing waivers. Kelenic has also played for Seattle and the Atlanta Braves.
Kelenic was batting .226 with a .626 OPS in 19 games and 59 plate appearances for the White Sox. In 426 career games he has a .211 batting average and .656 OPS. He has a career strikeout-to-walk rate of almost 4-to-1.
Kelenic was traded as a prospect to the Mariners the winter after he was drafted in a blockbuster deal that saw the Mets take on the bloated contract of Robinson Cano and receive Edwin Diaz. He rose to be the No. 4 prospect in baseball heading into 2021, made his MLB debut that year as a 21-year old and struggled. He has had only one season – 2023 with Seattle – in which his OPS and OPS+ were above league average. He had a .746 OPS that year.