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A year ago, Jarred Kelenic entered Spring Training as one of the top storylines. The former 6th overall pick was acquired by the Braves in a multi-player deal after posting a decent season with the Mariners, recording a .746 OPS and 2.0 WAR over 105 games. It was his best season of what was a rocky start to his young career after receiving top prospect status when he was just a teenager.
The hope was that a change of scenery and a more stable organization in the Atlanta Braves would help Kelenic unlock the tools that many thought would result in him becoming a star player at the major-league level. But a year later, and Kelenic is all but an afterthought as Spring Training begins for the Braves in North Port, Florida.
The newly signed Jurrickson Profar has taken his place in the outfield, who signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves about a month ago. He will be the team’s starting left fielder for the foreseeable future, leaving Kelenic without a clear path for consistent playing time moving forward.
There aren’t many positive ways to spin Kelenic’s future with the Braves organization. Once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from injury, which could happen as soon as May, he’ll essentially be a glorified fourth outfielder. In the world of the universal DH, that’s not going to present him with many opportunities to prove himself unless another injury arises.
However, Jarred Kelenic will have a chance to play everyday at the start of the season. What he does with that opportunity could ultimately determine the future of his career.
In an ideal world for both the Braves and Kelenic, he starts the season on fire, perhaps even forcing the Braves to consider a platoon with he and Profar in left field once Acuña returns. But the Braves can’t just ignore the $42 million multi-year investment they just poured into Profar. As long as he’s performing, he’s going to get the majority of the at-bats, leaving the Braves with a decision to make on Kelenic.
The 25-year-old outfielder is still under contract through the 2028 season. Given his age, tools, and team control, he could become a popular mid-season trade target if he performs well to start the season. That would be the best case scenario for the Braves, who can parlay his hot start and address some of their other needs, at the very least, helping them save face on their initial investment.
More must-reads:
- All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
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- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Yankees add needed infielder in trade with Nationals
The New York Yankees had been on the search for a right-handed hitting infielder. They found their man late Saturday night. Jack Curry from YES Network reported that the Yankees acquired infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals. In exchange, the Yankees are sending pitcher Clayton Beeter and minor league outfielder Browm Martinez to Washington. The Yankees had been looking for a right-handed hitting infielder in the wake of acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. Rosario is exactly the type of player the Yankees had sought - a solid option capable of playing second and third. He had posted a .270/.310/.426 batting line in 158 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting five homers and eight doubles. Rosario's greatest attribute for the Yankees is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He has a .299/.333/.483 batting line in 99 plate appearances against lefties this season, with three homers and seven doubles. He and McMahon should form a solid platoon at the hot corner in New York. However, the Yankees paid a steep price to bring Rosario on board for the next several months. Beeter had been ranked as the Yankees' 20th-best prospect per MLB.com, with his upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider both considered plus offerings. He has operated strictly as a reliever this season, where both his ability to miss bats and questionable command have been apparent. Martinez had been considered a player to watch heading into the season by FanGraphs, citing his solid contact rates and projectability. The 18-year-old is years away from making an impact, but has posted an impressive .404/.507/.632 batting line in 69 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League, hitting three homers and four doubles while stealing 13 bases. His ability to make contact has been impressive, as Martinez has drawn six walks with just eight strikeouts this season. A promotion stateside could be in the cards before the end of the year.
Aaron Rodgers responds to criticism from Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw
The Pittsburgh Steelers' signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers was an immediately polarizing move that did not sit well with large portions of the fan base. It also did not sit well with one of the team's all-time greatest players, four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw initially referred to the signing of Rodgers as a "joke" and that he should "stay in California and go chew bark" in reference to Rodgers isolating himself in a darkness retreat last year. On Saturday, Rodgers finally had a chance to respond to Bradshaw and did so with a combination of taking the high road, and also trying to make light of it. “I whisper to the gods every single day. I’ve known Terry for a long time, being a part of Fox. Terry’s a legend. He’s an absolute legend. He won four Super Bowls. He’s had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, doesn’t know me. And so, he’s got an idea of what he thinks about me based on what I’ve done, the documentary, what I’ve said, darkness retreat, whatever the hell you want to talk about. I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level. I feel like if he gave me a chance to get to know him, then we’d have a good friendship." He ended the answer by saying, "So, I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he’s open to it. And maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he’s talking about together.” The Steelers were in a pretty desperate quarterback situation this offseason after completely overhauling the position for a second year in a row. They missed out on the chance to re-sign Justin Fields, let Russell Wilson walk, missed out on every other veteran who changed teams and passed on the opportunity to select a quarterback near the top of a weak quarterback draft class. (They ultimately selected Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round.) The whole Rodgers saga has been quite a soap opera for the Steelers as they waited around for months while he decided on whether or not he wanted to play this season, and if he wanted to play for the Steelers. Add in the fact he has had a tendency to cause some off-field distractions with his comments and weekly "Pat McAfee Show" appearances, as well as the fact he will turn 42 years old this season and hasn't been a top-tier quarterback in three years, and a lot of Steelers fans — and former players — were put off by the idea. The only thing that will matter in the end, however, is how Rodgers plays on the field. He has said all of the right things since joining the team, and his new teammates have all spoken highly of him so far, but it will still come down to results on the field. The Steelers have not won a playoff game in eight years and are facing added pressure each year to end that drought. They are hoping Rodgers has one more good year in him to help them advance in the postseason.
Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
Richard Childress addresses idea of suspension for Austin Hill
Richard Childress is standing by his driver after a controversial move in the closing laps of Saturday's Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Austin Hill, driver of the No. 21 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, appeared to hook Aric Almirola on Lap 91 after Almirola had gotten Hill loose in the previous corner. In recent years, NASCAR has set a precedent that right-hooking a fellow driver at speed is grounds for a suspension, though their failure to do so with Austin Cindric at COTA in March or with Austin Dillon at Richmond in August 2024 drew scrutiny. Unsurprisingly, Childress doesn't think Hill should have to sit out the Aug. 2 race at Iowa Speedway. "Hell no," Childress said when asked if he believed Hill should have to sit for a week. "They didn't do a damn thing to the 2 car (Cindric) when he wrecked Ty (Dillon, Childress' grandson) and admitted to it, drove him in the right-rear and wrecked him at COTA. It's who you are. We're a blue-collar team, they (NASCAR) give us trouble all the time." Hill was given a five-lap penalty for reckless driving and finished the race in 34th.
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