Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic has agreed to a non-roster invite deal with the White Sox, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Wednesday. The club has not yet confirmed the deal.
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 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.
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.
