Jarred Kelenic\u2019s latest attempt to find major league success will take him to the Windy City.<\/p>\n
The former top Mets prospect has signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, as first reported by ESPN<\/a>. <\/p>\n The non-roster contract comes with an invitation to major league spring training.<\/p>\n After two disappointing seasons with the Braves, Jarred Kelenic is reportedly joining the White Sox on a minor league pact. Charles Wenzelberg \/ New York Post<\/p>\n Kelenic, still just 26 years old, was drafted sixth overall by the Mets in the 2018 MLB Draft, quickly ascended to be ranked as the organization\u2019s third-best prospect by MLB.com.<\/p>\n The Mets traded Kelenic to the Mariners in December 2018 in a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought Robinson Cano and the recently departed Edwin D\u00edaz<\/a> to Queens.<\/p>\n He made his MLB debut with the Mariners in May 2021, but the speedy, left-handed-hitting outfielder has consistently struggled at the plate.<\/p>\n Kelenic owns a disappointing .211\/.282\/.376 slash line across five MLB seasons, along with an eye-popping 30.6 percent strikeout rate.<\/p>\n The Mets drafted Kelenic sixth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, but shipped him to Seattle in a blockbuster deal just months later. Paul J. Bereswill<\/p>\n The Wisconsin native seemingly turned a corner in 2023 with Seattle, slashing a solid .253\/.327\/.419 with 11 homers and 49 RBIs in 105 games \u2014 but it came with some self-inflicted controversy.<\/p>\n Kelenic broke his left foot in July of that season after kicking a water cooler<\/a> in frustration, which sidelined him until mid-September amid the best stretch of his career.<\/p>\n \u201cI just feel terrible, especially for the guys,\u201d an emotional Kelenic told reporters after the incident. \u201cI let emotions get the best of me, and I just let them down and take full responsibility \u2014 it\u2019s on me, it just can\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelenic\u2019s best season came in 2023 with the Mariners before a self-inflicted foot injury sidelined him for a significant part of the season. Getty Images<\/p>\n Seattle traded Kelenic to the Braves<\/a> in the offseason, and he eventually became Atlanta\u2019s everyday center fielder.<\/p>\n While Kelenic swatted a career-high 15 home runs, he continued to whiff at a prolific rate (29.6 percent) in 2024.<\/p>\n The 2025 season was a disaster for Kelenic as he hit a meager .167 in just 24 games \u2014 while also being called out by Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. for an egregious lack of hustle.<\/a><\/p>\n Kelenic spent most of 2025 in the minors, hitting a paltry .213 with just four homers in 95 contests with Triple-A Gwinnett.<\/p>\n Chicago has had a busy offseason, signing fellow ex-Mets prospect<\/a> Anthony Kay along with Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.<\/a><\/p>\n