Former Mariner Jarred Kelenic reaches rock bottom for 2nd time after Rangers move

There were times during Jarred Kelenic's tenure with the Mariners when he could be, quite frankly, a pain in the ass. He was prone to emotional outbursts when things were going badly, and just generally proved to be one of the more polarizing players in team history. However, even those who couldn't stand Kelenic in Seattle, must be feeling a little bad for the guy following the latest news on him.

As first reported by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News over the weekend, the Rangers designated Kelenic for assignment. And now, after clearing waivers, the outfielder has elected for free agency. This is the second time this has happened to him this year, as the hits keep on coming for a player who at one time was the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball as per MLB Pipeline.

The first time came back in May with the White Sox, as Kelenic now finds himself looking for a sixth Major League organization to give him an opportunity. However, we've reached a point where second chances might be drying up for the Mariners' former top-rated prospect. It still seems almost unfathomable that a player with his talent and potential could be in such a position, and yet that's exactly where we are.

We still remember the excitement and anticipation when the Mariners acquired Kelenic back in December of 2018, just six months after the Mets had drafted him sixth overall. The future looked bright and by 2021 he was the M's top prospect, even above a certain Julio Rodríguez. However, that same year Kelenic turned down a six-year deal plus option years that was worth substantial money, instead deciding to bet on himself.

A decision that Jarred Kelenic likely regrets more and more with every passing day

This turned out to be a bad move by the 27-year-old, as he was unable to translate his success in the minors to the big leagues. Despite having all the physical tools and ability in the world to succeed, he was consistently compromised by his mental makeup. Things finally seemed to click into place early in 2023 as he batted over .300 and produced a .982 OPS through the end of April, but then it all fell apart.

Things came to a head in July, when Kelenic broke his left foot after kicking a cooler during a game against the Twins. This moment of frustration sent him to the injured list and all but ended his time in Seattle, with him being traded to Atlanta during the offseason. Since then he's been trying to rectify his career and live up to his previous hype, but he just can't seem to put it all together.

Every time it seems as if the Waukesha, Wisconsin native might finally be tapping into something and unlocking his potential, it goes wrong. During his most recent spell with the Rangers organization he made a tremendous impression in Triple-A Round Rock, hitting .373 with a 1.102 OPS in 37 games. However, once again he couldn't replicate this success in the majors, batting just .200 with a .533 OPS during 17 games in Texas.

Overall, Kelenic has a career .211 batting average and .655 OPS in 443 Major League games and you have to wonder where he goes from here, because you can't deny he hasn't been given the opportunities to succeed. SoDo Mojo's Zachary Rymer wrote back in May that perhaps it was time for him to consider playing in Japan or Korea, and this remains a good idea.

Because at this point, honestly, what more can he gain from playing the Quad-A game?

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