Jarred Kelenic gets fresh MLB chance as White Sox sign former top prospect to non-roster Spring Training deal

Jarred Kelenic is getting another chance in Major League Baseball. On Monday, the Chicago White Sox agreed to a Minor League contract with the 26-year-old outfielder. The deal includes a non-roster invitation to Spring Training in Glendale, Arizona, where Chicago will prepare for the 2026 season. The move gives Jarred Kelenic a fresh start after a difficult year and keeps his MLB career alive.

Jarred Kelenic became a free agent earlier this offseason after the Atlanta Braves removed him from their 40-man roster and sent him to Triple-A Gwinnett. With limited playing time and struggles at the plate in 2025, Jarred Kelenic is now looking to reset his career with a rebuilding White Sox team that has room for competition in the outfield.

Jarred Kelenic signs Minor League deal with Chicago White Sox

The agreement was finalized this week and allows Jarred Kelenic to report to White Sox camp as a non-roster invitee.

That means he is not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster but will get a full chance to compete during Spring Training.

During the 2025 season, Jarred Kelenic appeared in 24 games for the Atlanta Braves, mostly in right field.

He finished the year with a .167 batting average, a .531 OPS, and struggled to find consistency at the plate. After the season, Atlanta outrighted him to Triple-A, where he later chose free agency.

A White Sox official confirmed that the team values Jarred Kelenic’s defense, left-handed power, and past upside.

“He’s still young and has tools we believe can play,” the official said during a media briefing in Chicago. The White Sox are expected to give him time in both corner outfield spots during camp.

Jarred Kelenic entered professional baseball with huge expectations. The New York Mets selected him sixth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft.

Later that year, New York traded him to the Seattle Mariners in a blockbuster deal involving Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó.



When Jarred Kelenic made his MLB debut in May 2021 with Seattle, he was ranked No. 4 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Over parts of five MLB seasons, he owns a .211 batting average, .282 on-base percentage, .376 slugging percentage, and a .658 OPS, with a 30.6% strikeout rate.

His best year came in 2023, when he posted a 111 OPS+ and produced 1.5 fWAR. In Chicago, the projected outfield includes Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr., and Brooks Baldwin.

Jarred Kelenic will compete for depth and injury cover, with the chance to earn a roster spot if he performs well in Arizona.

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