Mariners Exhaust Patience With Jarred Kelenic – What Does Atlanta Braves Gain in Acquiring the Former Elite Prospect?

In what can be deemed one of the initial outcomes of the MLB Winter Meetings, the Seattle Mariners traded their outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the Atlanta Braves this Sunday. The left-handed hitter is all set to contend for a place in the left field. He might operate in a squad for the coming season; however, his placement is undecided as of now. Looking at the past, did the Braves hit a jackpot, or did they merely aim at an empty target in the dark?

Kelenic used to be one of the most promising prospects during his first draft. During his three-season stint with the Mariners, he recorded an OPS of .589 through 149 playoffs in the first two years. He turned the tables this season by bagging an OPS of .746, a batting average of .253, and racked up 11 homers across 105 games. How does his past reflect his future in the Braves’ dugout so far?

Jarred Kelenic—a perfect fit for the Braves fielding the puzzle?

Many considered Kelenic an above-average player while he was playing for the Mariners. However, he has an affinity for transforming gameplay by throwing gigantic homers. ESPN tagged the 24-year-old outfielder as possessing “massive power.” Apt, considering he shot a 482-foot-long homer at a Wrigley Field game this year.

The Braves have been in dire need of power hitters in both outfield and infield lineups. Recruiting the overall 4th leader of the top 100 MLB prospects in 2021 seems like a good start to fix that situation. According to The Athletic, they plan to have him contend with right-hander teammate Vaughn Grissom, who will balance Kelenic’s left-handed skills.

Jarred Kelenic is solid in his defensive-hitting approach. During his leading days in the minors, he racked up a high OPS of .908 across parts of five seasons. However, his form saw a dive in the majors after the Mariners acquired him in a trade back in 2018.

They finally decided to trade him off because of the turbulence reflected in his performance this year. Was that a good enough reason for the Mariners to lose their patience with the slugger?

What made the Mariners lose patience with the outfielder?

Jarred Kelenic was a minor part of the Mariners’ second planned purge of veterans to make space and money for prospects. The team is rumored to go after Juan Soto with the cash flow garnered through the trade. However, that was not the only reason why the outfielder was traded to the Braves.

In his last season with the M’s, Kelenic reverted to his minors’ form by slashing .343 with a baffling OPS of 1.121. This was in the earlier part of the year when he also bagged seven home runs across the initial 21 games. However, the team saw a decline in the rest of the 84 games played after. He got his final strike after throwing a temper tantrum back in July.

Kelenic let himself be benched on an eight-week-long injury list after breaking his foot by kicking a water cooler in a feat of rage. That finally made the Mariners lose patience with him and mark him for the trade that ensued five months later.

Read More: Mariners Outfielder Jarred Kelenic Suffers Foot Injury in Water Cooler Mishap

Jarred Kelenic knows better now as he has the grit and the perseverance. If only he can gain control of his patience, the slugger will be all set to attain his next level of fame playing for the Braves.

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