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The Seattle Mariners have agreed to trade outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jackson Kowar and right-handed pitcher Cole Phillips, according to multiple reports Sunday night.
Atlanta is also receiving cash as part of the deal.
ESPN's Jeff Passan described the trade as a salary dump for Seattle. Gonzales is due $12.25 million in 2024, while White will make $7 million.
To shed that money, the Mariners had to package the pair with the 24-year-old Kelenic.
The Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a trade that will send outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White to the Braves in exchange for right-handers Cole Phillips and Jackson Kowar, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 4, 2023
Kelenic was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, and the New York Mets flipped him to the Mariners six months later to bring in second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz.
By 2020, Kelenic had become the Mariners’ top prospect.
Kelenic made his big league debut in 2021, but he hit just .181 with a .615 OPS and a -1.8 WAR in 93 games. He bounced between the majors and minors in 2022, batting .141 in year two.
It seemed like Kelenic was finally adjusting to MLB pitching in 2023, as he was hitting .277 with an .846 OPS through May, only for his production to tail off as the season progressed. To make matters worse, Kelenic spent nearly two months on the injured list after kicking a water cooler in frustration following a loss and ultimately breaking his foot.
Kelenic ended the year with 11 home runs. 49 RBI, 13 stolen bases, a .253 batting average, a .746 OPS and a 2.0 WAR in 105 games.
As USA Today’s Bob Nightengale explained the deal in his report, the Mariners “ran out of patience” with Kelenic by trading him to Atlanta.
Seattle runs out of patience with outfielder Jarred Kelenic, trades him to Atlanta, per @Ken_Rosenthal
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 4, 2023
Gonzales, 31, will join Kelenic in Atlanta after making just 10 starts in 2023 as a result of a flexor strain and nerve issues in his elbow. Since joining the Mariners' starting rotation in 2017, Gonzales is 61-47 with a 4.08 ERA, 1.272 WHIP and 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
White, on the other hand, has not played in the majors since 2021 due to multiple hip, hernia and groin injuries. He won a Gold Glove Award as a rookie in 2020, though, and he had 10 home runs in his first 84 MLB outings.
With those two veterans out the door alongside Kelenic, the Mariners brought back two interesting arms in return.
Atlanta just got Kowar in a recent trade with the Kansas City Royals , which involved them shipping out banged-up pitcher Kyle Wright. Phillips, meanwhile, ended the year as the Braves' No. 7 prospect down in Rookie ball.
More must-reads:
- King of New York: Pete Alonso breaks major Mets all-time record
- Astros' playoff push dealt significant blow
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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