CHICAGO – Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic has agreed to a Minor League deal with the White Sox and will be a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
White Sox pitchers and catchers report to the organization’s Camelback Ranch facilities in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 10. The first full roster workout is expected on Feb. 15.
Kelenic, 26, elected free agency earlier this offseason after the Braves removed him from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to Triple-A Gwinnett. He hit .167 with a .531 OPS in 24 games for Atlanta last season, mostly playing in right field.
The left-handed hitter already has worked a few times with White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller, focusing on changes and adjustments Kelenic previously had in mind.
“I had a few meetings with them over the offseason,” Kelenic said on a video conference call Wednesday. “Before my offseason really started to happen where I was talking to teams, I already had a few things I wanted to work on, and then I was working on those.
“Then, when I started to meet with teams, and I had the conversation with the White Sox, everything that I was already planning on working on was what they were striving for, they wanted to help work on with me. That was definitely reassuring. I felt in our conversations we were on the same page, and they had a clear plan of how they were going to help make me the player that I can be.”
The Mets originally selected Kelenic with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, then made him the centerpiece of a deal with the Mariners that sent Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó to New York. When Kelenic debuted with the Mariners in May ‘21, he did so as MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall prospect.
Kelenic will look to tap into that potential and rejuvenate his career in Chicago. In parts of five Major League seasons, Kelenic owns a .211/.282/.376 slash line with a .658 OPS and a 30.6% strikeout rate. His best season came in 2023, when he posted a 111 OPS+ and was worth 1.5 fWAR with the Mariners.
A connection between Kelenic and the White Sox dates back to his youth playing days for their Area Code Baseball team. And the native of Waukesha, Wis., is ready to reconnect with the city as a whole.
“I grew up in that area, until I was 18, and I was in Chicago quite a bit, whether it was playing or visiting just with my family,” Kelenic said. “So the cool part of being in that city is thinking of those memories and just it being a place that I’ve had so much history with – not only just baseball, but off the field stuff, too.
“There are so many things to do in Chicago, and that was definitely one thing that was intriguing to me was where it is. I’ve always felt that I’ve played well in Chicago, so hopefully I can keep doing that. Chicago is my favorite city that I have ever played in. So to be able to potentially call that home, I’m looking forward to that.”
It remains to be seen how Kelenic might fit into Chicago’s outfield picture. Right now, the team’s potential starting outfield consists of Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr. and Brooks Baldwin.
“Yeah, I mean, looking forward to the opportunity,” Kelenic said. “I have a few ties to guys in the organization, and what kind of drew my attention to them is kind of where they are headed.
“With it being pretty close to where I grew up, and having ties there when I was in high school and playing in that stadium before … I’m looking forward to getting to know the guys, getting to know the organization and doing everything I can to help the team win.”