Don't get your hopes up as Rangers sign all-time bust to minor league deal

The Texas Rangers seemed to avoid serious injuries to outfielders Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna, but that hasn't stopped the club from adding some outfield depth. The Rangers have come to terms on a minor league contract with well-traveled outfielder Jarred Kelenic.

Kelenic will report to Triple-A Round Rock and give Texas another left-handed-hitting outfield option. The Rangers' outfield has needed an influx of pop. The unit ranks 23rd in the league in OPS with a .673 mark, 23rd in homers with 15, and 23rd in SLG at .358. At least they're consistent.

Holding the club back has been Carter's continued underperformance and Wyatt Langford's injury and slow start, among other frustrations. The question is, can Kelenic jump into the mix and provide some sort of solution? Don't bet on it.

Jarred Kelenic is a worthwhile dart throw for the Rangers, but don't expect him to be a solution

A first-round pick of the New York Mets in 2018, Kelenic rose through the ranks and became an extremely well-thought-of prospect. Topping out as MLB Pipeline's No. 4 overall prospect back in 2021, his claim to fame has been being the centerpiece of the deal that sent Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the Mets.

The Mariners really tried with Kelenic, who was once thought of as a five-tool player. Ultimately, they got very little out of him, with a high-water mark coming in 2023 when he hit 253/.327/.419 with 11 homers over 105 big league games.

Seattle gave up on him following the 2023 season despite the career-best performance, dealing him to the Atlanta Braves. Kelenic would spend two years in Atlanta, getting heavy run in 2024 but disappointing with a .231/.286/.393 line, and then became an afterthought in 2025.

This year, he latched on over the winter on a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. The soon-to-be 27-year-old struggled mightily in his big league run, hitting .226/.305/.321 over 59 plate appearances, striking out 33.9% of the time.

He did put together some interesting numbers in Triple-A. While he hit just .202, he posted a .346 OBP and .464 SLG with six homers and seven steals before the White Sox cut him loose.

In the grand scheme of things, Kelenic has shown that his swing has a lot of holes, and he can't consistently tap into his power at the big league level. He's also a pretty poor defender in the outfield corners. Now heading into his late-20s, it doesn't appear that a breakthrough is coming.

With that said, for the cost, it's not a bad move for the Rangers. If by chance it all happens to click for him, it's a massive win. If, in the most likely scenario, he falls flat yet again, cutting bait is simple. This is a worthy gamble, just don't expect it to hit.

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