Jarred Kelenic lands contract with Yankees, but there’s a catch

The New York Yankees added experienced outfield depth Saturday by signing Jarred Kelenic to a minor league contract. However, the former top prospect will not receive an immediate major league roster spot.

Kelenic will report to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, making the agreement an organizational depth move rather than a direct promotion to Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees’ outfield currently includes Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Spencer Jones, and Heliot Ramos. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge continues recovering from a right rib stress fracture.

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch took to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday to confirm the signing and assignment by the organization.

“The Yankees have signed Jarred Kelenic to a Minor League contract. Reporting to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.”

Kelenic became available after the Texas Rangers designated him for assignment last Sunday. He cleared waivers and elected free agency earlier this week rather than accepting an outright assignment.

The 27-year-old batted .219 with a .313 on-base percentage and a .288 slugging percentage across 83 major league plate appearances this season. He recorded one home run and six RBIs.

Kelenic produced stronger results in the minors, batting .310 with a .408 on-base percentage and a .584 slugging percentage across 63 games. He added 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases.

The New York Mets selected Kelenic sixth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft before trading him to the Seattle Mariners that December. Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz were included in the package sent to New York.

Kelenic later played for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, and Rangers. He owns a career .211/.283/.371 major league slash line across 1,571 plate appearances.

The Yankees did not add Kelenic to their 40-man roster and have not announced a September promotion plan. Kelenic’s assignment gives him another opportunity to show that his minor league production can translate against major league pitching. For now, at least, he is heading to Scranton rather than the Bronx.

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