The Braves swung a deal last night with the Mariners, acquiring three players — Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White.
Kelenic is the most notable of the three. He’s a former 6th overall pick from the 2018 draft, and though he’s gone through some ups and downs early in his major-league career, there’s plenty of upside for the Braves to potentially tap into. Kelenic is only 24-years-old and under contract through the 2028 campaign. There’s a chance he ends up being the Braves long-term answer in left field alongside Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr.
What the Braves do with Marco Gonzales and Evan White remains to be seen, but according to Ken Rosenthal, Gonzales is not expected to be on the team for long.
Gonzales is a decent starting pitcher who can round out a rotation, but he’s not better than anything the Braves already have in Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Hurston Waldrep. There’s also still the potential for Alex Anthopoulos to acquire another starting pitcher before the start of the season.
Ridding of Gonzales and the $12 million he is owed in 2024 should be a top priority. Although, it might be easier said than done. There’s a reason the Mariners didn’t get much in return for Jared Kelenic, and it’s because the Braves were willing to take on the contracts of Gonzales and White.
If Anthopoulos can find a landing spot for Gonzales, the trade for Kelenic begins to look a lot better. The Braves have already been one of the busiest teams this offseason, and it doesn’t appear that they are close to a finished product. These next few weeks could be filled with a ton of action from Alex Anthopoulos and company.
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