Yankees Sign Jarred Kelenic to Minor League Deal

The New York Yankees signed former top outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic to a minor league contract and he will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with the move framed as organizational depth rather than an immediate MLB promotion. The Yankees currently have Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Spencer Jones, and Heliot Ramos in the outfield, while Aaron Judge is recovering from a rib injury and a September call-up remains possible. Kelenic, 27, has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons with the Mariners, Braves, White Sox and Rangers. He batted .219 with one homer and six RBIs in 83 major-league plate appearances this season, and previously posted a strong .310/.408/.584 line with 13 homers in 63 Triple-A games. His career began as the Mets’ No. 6 overall pick in 2018 before being traded to Seattle in the Edwin Díaz/Robinson Canó deal, and the Yankees will give him another chance to translate minor-league success to the majors. He is not on the 40-man roster, so this assignment is a clear chance to show if his development can translate at the MLB level.