Rangers Part Ways With Outfielder Jarred Kelenic
The Texas Rangers have released outfielder Jarred Kelenic, according to DLLS Sports’ Jeff Wilson, making the former top prospect a free agent once again.
Kelenic appeared in seven games for Texas this season, recording one hit and two walks across 10 plate appearances for a .425 OPS. He spent most of July with Triple-A Round Rock before the Rangers decided to move on.
The 27-year-old began the year with the Chicago White Sox after signing a minor league contract during the offseason. He appeared in 19 games for Chicago, posting a .626 OPS over 59 plate appearances before being designated for assignment in late May. Rather than accept an outright assignment, Kelenic elected free agency.
Texas then signed him to a minor league deal, promoted him to the major league roster in mid-June, and gave him seven games before designating him for assignment once more. Kelenic again chose free agency before rejoining the organization on another minor league contract. His latest release now sends him back to the open market.
Across his time with the White Sox and Rangers this season, Kelenic hit .213/.304/.295 in 69 plate appearances. However, he was far more productive at Triple-A, slashing .298/.403/.571 over 227 plate appearances. Those numbers marked a significant improvement after a difficult 2025 campaign at Triple-A with the Braves, though his continued struggles in the majors have done little to shake the “Quad-A” label that has followed him.
Despite that reputation, Kelenic could still draw interest from clubs looking for an upside play. He recently turned 27, can handle all three outfield positions, has an impressive Triple-A track record, and still carries the pedigree of a former elite prospect.
The timing of his release could also indicate another opportunity outside Major League Baseball. A move to an overseas league could offer Kelenic greater roster security and a guaranteed contract, rather than facing additional cycles of being designated for assignment. Since he has exhausted his minor league options, any future MLB opportunity would likely come with similar uncertainty.
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