Braves acquire Kelenic, Gonzales in 5-player trade with Mariners

The Seattle Mariners traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales, first baseman Evan White, and cash considerations to the Atlanta Braves for right-hander Jackson Kowar and pitching prospect Cole Phillips, both teams announced Sunday.

“As we continue to work through this offseason with a goal of improving our team for 2024 and beyond, we believe the additions of Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips, as well as the roster and payroll flexibility created tonight, will move us closer to that goal,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a press release.

Kelenic, a former top prospect, is the biggest name involved in the deal. The 24-year-old went deep 11 times with a .746 OPS over 105 games last season.

Atlanta plans to have the left-handed hitting Kelenic compete with Vaughn Grissom for playing time in left field in what could turn into a platoon, according to David O’Brien of The Athletic. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos is reportedly no longer looking to add to the position.

Gonzales authored a 5.22 ERA with 1.46 WHIP over 50 innings (10 starts) in 2023 before needing season-ending surgery for a nerve issue in his forearm. The nine-year veteran will make $12 million in 2024.

White, who owns a career .165/.235/.308 slash line over a combined 84 games, is set to make $7 million next season, and $8 million in 2025. The 27-year-old inked a six-year, $24-million extension before playing in the majors. He hasn’t played an MLB game since 2021.

The Braves originally acquired Kowar in a deal with the Kansas City Royals in mid-November. The 27-year-old posted a 6.43 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 28 innings working out of the bullpen in 2023.

Phillips was the seventh-ranked prospect in the Braves’ minor-league system, according to MLB Pipeline.

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