Braves Acquire Jarred Kelenic in Trade With Mariners

The Braves and Mariners agreed to a big trade on Sunday evening.

The Mariners and Braves agreed to a trade on Sunday evening which will see young outfielder Jarred Kelenic head to Atlanta. 

Alongside Kelenic, the Braves will also acquire veteran left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White, the team announced. 

In exchange, headed to Seattle are right-handed pitchers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips.

The move represents a salary dump for the Mariners, who are potentially looking to free up some money in order to make a run at top free agents. Seattle notably is in the market for an outfielder, and that need will be exasperated following the decision to move on from Kelenic.

Gonzales, 31, is due $12 million in 2024, and has a $15 million club option for 2025. Last season he had a 5.22 ERA across 10 starts.

As for White, he’s under contract through 2028, though the final three years of his deal have club options. He’ll make $7 million in 2024. He’s been plagued by injuries over the past few seasons, having not played in an MLB game since 2021. 

Kelenic, 24, is a former top prospect but he struggled in his first taste of MLB action. During his first two seasons in Seattle, Kelenic recorded a .589 OPS across 149 games. He turned things around in 2023, logging a .253 batting average and .746 OPS with 11 home runs in 105 games.