The Rangers have brought back outfielder Jarred Kelenic on a minor league deal, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The club released Kelenic from his previous deal three days ago. He returns to the organization in short order and once again heads to Triple-A Round Rock.
It’s now the third time that Kelenic has signed a minor league pact with the Rangers in 2026. The first came on June 2nd after he elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment from the White Sox. Texas selected Kelenic’s contract on June 19th, but he only collected one single in ten plate appearances before being designated for assignment on June 29th. After electing free agency again, he re-upped on a new deal in early July. He didn’t get called up to the Majors this time around before getting released on Sunday.
A former top prospect for the Mariners, Kelenic hasn’t shown much with the bat since posting a 110 wRC+ in 416 plate appearance in 2023. From 2024 onwards, he’s taken 583 PA between the Braves, White Sox, and Rangers, only batting .221/.282/.371 with an 81 wRC+. The last two seasons have been particularly dreadful, with Kelenic having a 61 wRC+ in 134 PA in the Majors while striking out a staggering 35.8% of the time. He’s fared much better in the minors this year. In 227 PA with the White Sox and Rangers’ top affiliates, Kelenic has put up a 139 wRC+ and hit 11 home runs. However, as has been the case throughout his career, that hasn’t translated into consistent production at the game’s highest level.
For now, the Rangers are content to keep Kelenic on hand at Round Rock as a depth option. He is only 27 years old and has some pedigree as a former top prospect, so there’s still an incentive to see if he can break out. He has ample experience at all three outfield spots, and most metrics consider him a passable defender. If and when he gets selected, Kelenic is likely to repeat the DFA/outright cycle if he doesn’t hit enough to stick around.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
