Braves acquire outfielder Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners in a 5-player swap
The Seattle Mariners are trading outfielder Jarred Kelenic, first baseman Evan White and lefty Marco Gonzales to the Atlanta Braves for right-handed pitchers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
The Mariners will move Gonzales’ and White’s money off their books in this swap with the Braves.
Kelenic was once considered a key piece of the Mariners future and the centerpiece of a trade that sent All-Star closer Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the Mets before the 2019 season.
The 24-year-old posted a .253/.327/.419 slash line with 11 home runs and 13 steals in 105 games. A broken foot sidetracked the lefty hitter’s season in July. The Braves are expected to insert Kelenic into left field next season.
The 31-year-old Gonzales made his MLB debut during the 2014 season, posting a 5.22 ERA in 10 starts last year before undergoing season-ending arm surgery. The southpaw is owed $12 million in the final year of the contract extension that he signed before the 2021 season.
White has not played with the Mariners since 2021, he won a Gold Glove at first base during the pandemic shortened campaign. He received an extension prior to the 2020 season, one of six players ever to earn one without playing an MLB game. White has been injured each of the last three seasons.
The Mariners add two you arms, Kowar heads to the northwest after being traded for the second time this offseason. He was traded to the Braves on Nov. 17 for Kyle Wright, who will miss the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The former first rounder back in the 2018 MLB draft wns a career ERA of 9.12 in 74 frames with the Royals from 2021-23, recording 75 strikeouts in that span.
Phillips was the Braves No. 7 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has drawn comparisons to former Red Sox righty and current Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi. “His fastball now sits in the mid-90s, reaches the upper 90s and touches 100 mph with good running action,” wrote MLB Pipeline. “His breaking ball, a power curve with depth thrown up to 85 mph, could be a plus pitch. Like many prep hurlers with that kind of fastball-breaking ball combination, he didn’t use his changeup much, but he has shown feel for a mid-80s offering with fade.”
“I want to thank Marco, JK and Evan for the contributions to our club. All three played key roles at different stages of our growth over the past several seasons,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a press release. “As we continue to work through this offseason with a goal of improving our team for 2024 and beyond, we believe the additions of Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips, as well as the roster and payroll flexibility created tonight, will move us closer to that goal.”
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