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The Mariners traded Jarred Kelenic to the Braves... but for who?
The Mariners traded Jarred Kelenic in a salary-dump style move to the Atlanta Braves. But who did they get in return?
In a move that stunned the Mariners Universe on the eve of the Winter Meetings, the Mariners traded OF Jarred Kelenic, LHP Marco Gonzales, and oft-injured 1B Evan White to the Atlanta Braves. In doing so, the Mariners saved about $75,000,000 over the next 5 seasons. That number is a bit skewed because $48.5M of that $75M is tied up in club options, which would not have been exercised given the production of White and Gonzales.
Who did the Mariners receive in this trade? Well, none other than Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips! You don't know who they are? Well, let me tell you. Before you get excited, Don't. This is not the return Mariners fans expected when they thought of trading Jarred Kelenic.
We have acquired RHP Jackson Kowar and minor league RHP Cole Phillips from the @Braves in exchange for LHP Marco Gonzales, OF Jarred Kelenic, INF Evan White and cash considerations.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) December 4, 2023
🔗 https://t.co/Ek6WvjOtBz pic.twitter.com/msntDuQFOc
Jackson Kowar, RHP
Jackson Kowar is a former first-round pick from the University of Florida. Once a top 100 prospect, Kowar has fallen off quite a bit. He was drafted as a starting pitcher by the Kansas City Royals, who traded Kowar to the Braves earlier this offseason. When it comes to his Major League career, there is no way to sugarcoat this: He has been terrible. Like, really, really bad.
in 74 Major League innings, he has given up 75 earned runs. 75! His career ERA is 9.12, and his career WHIP is 2.09. Those numbers are really hard to get, because most pitchers do not get that many opportunities to be that bad. He boasts a 9.1 K/9, and a lousy 6.2 BB/9 in his ML career. Even Baseball Savant is not his friend. The only positive thing on his Savant page is his fastball velocity, which is in the 91st percentile.
What upsets me is the casual fan who sees the Mariners official Twitter account put up a "Welcome to Seattle" post for him, then they Google him and see his stats. If the Mariners just plain traded for Kowar, most people would be fine with it. We all know the Mariners pitching lab has fixed even the worst pitchers, but trading a guy who was supposed to be the face of your franchise for a relief pitcher as bad as Kowar has been? That leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.
Cole Phillips, RHP (Braves #7 prospect)
So Phillips is the real get here. Phillips was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft as a prep arm out of Boerne, Texas. He is still just 20 years old. Don't bother running over to baseball reference to see how he has been in the minors so far, because he has not even thrown a pitch yet. Phillips had Tommy John surgery in April of 2022 and has spent the whole time rehabbing. He should be good to get started this Spring.
According to MLB Pipeline, Phillips ranks as the Mariners' 15th-best prospect. His fastball can reach 100 MPH and ranks at plus-plus, and he has an above-average slider. He is still a few years away from making an impact for the Mariners, but he is solid depth for a minor league system that will need the depth after the Mariners make a big splash this offseason, hopefully.
So... why would the Mariners do this?
All in all, this trade gives me the ick, and it has nothing to do with Kelenic. Kelenic was a very streaky hitter who struck out way too much. He also injured himself by kicking a water cooler, which hurt the team. Maybe that was a huge issue behind closed doors, or maybe he didn't fit in Dipoto's plans for this team. Either way, acting like Jackson Kowar is a "get" for the Mariners is beyond laughable. And it is frustrating to hear him defend this.
Hopefully, the Mariners will use the money they saved in this deal, and others to help catapult this team into playoff contention. But the fact of the matter is, this team has even more holes than it did when it missed the playoffs in 2023. Holes left by Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, and the holes they already had at second base, I just am not sure they can fill them all. Well, they can, but the real question is: Will they?
As always, Go Mariners.