Braves’ Costly Gamble on Jarred Kelenic Is Looking Worse by the Day
Despite Jarred Kelenic’s inconsistent hitting over three MLB seasons, the Atlanta Braves orchestrated a tangled web of trades to acquire him—moves that have ultimately cost them over $20 million and, so far, netted them little more than a fringe outfielder.
A High-Risk Move with Low Reward
The Kelenic trade never looked like a slam dunk. After the 2021 season, his former minor league manager hyped him up as a future star. But while Kelenic can hit the ball hard and post a decent barrel rate, his contact issues are glaring. In Seattle, he struck out in over 30% of his plate appearances and missed badly on offspeed and breaking pitches more than 40% of the time.
He flashed potential in early 2023, slashing .308/.366/.615 in March and April—but that momentum vanished. He cooled to .250/.304/.423 in May and hit a low point in June, when frustration boiled over: he kicked a water cooler, broke his foot, and never fully rebounded. The overall numbers looked okay, but the second half told a different story.
The Price Tag Behind the Chaos
If Atlanta had only taken on Marco Gonzales’ bloated contract to get Kelenic, the deal might’ve been manageable. But GM Alex Anthopoulos opted to also take Evan White’s dead-money deal, and things got messy fast.
The Braves’ sole target was Kelenic—but they had to offload both Gonzales and White to free up roster space. Releasing them outright would’ve cost an extra $4.7 million in luxury tax calculations, making a bad deal worse.
Let’s break down the numbers:
- Dec. 3: Braves acquire Kelenic, Gonzales ($12.5M), White ($7M), and $2.25M in cash from Seattle
- Dec. 5: Gonzales + $9.25M sent to Pittsburgh
- Dec. 8: White + a prospect dealt to the Angels for David Fletcher ($14M) and Max Stassi ($7M)
- Dec. 9: Stassi + $6.26M flipped to the White Sox
The result: Atlanta is still on the hook for most of Gonzales and Stassi’s contracts, and all of Fletcher’s future salary. The total: $21.51 million in commitments. After subtracting Seattle’s cash, the Braves paid roughly $19.26 million for a player they hoped would finally break out—and who hasn’t.
Beat writer Mark Bowman puts the number closer to $17 million, depending on how you calculate tax hits and offsetting factors.
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Jarred Kelenic
Still Paying the Price
The Braves ended up over the second luxury tax threshold by around $19.6 million, putting them right under the so-called “Cohen Tax.” They paid $14 million in CBT penalties, mostly tied to this deal—but avoided harsher consequences like draft-pick penalties.
Unfortunately, Kelenic’s 2024 has been a disaster. He’s posted a dismal 87 OPS+, 47 wRC+, and -0.5 rWAR. Without his defense, he’d rank even worse. If not for the investment Atlanta made, he likely would’ve been demoted earlier. As it stands, he’s now at Triple-A Gwinnett trying to figure things out.
Meanwhile, the Braves entered the offseason still needing a bullpen arm, a starting pitcher, and a reliable bat in left field—yet they only had room in the budget for one decent addition.
They waited to sign Jurickson Profar until his asking price dropped, largely due to CBT concerns. Profar’s PED suspension unexpectedly saved the team part of his 2025 salary, which helped them afford Alex Verdugo. But even that brings uncertainty. Profar is set to return midseason, but questions remain about what version of him they’ll get—and whether he’ll be effective post-suspension.
Final Tally: Millions Spent, Nothing Gained
In the end, the Braves paid nearly $20 million and significant CBT penalties for a collection of players who either never suited up for Atlanta or are trying to reinvent themselves in the minors.
Kelenic’s career arc now resembles that of former top prospect Cameron Maybin—a highly touted talent who never became the star many predicted. While Kelenic might still turn things around, few would bet on it today.
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