Yankees Sign Former Top MLB Prospect After 4th DFA This Season

August 29, 2026 , , , ,
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To say it's been a rollercoaster this season for Jarred Kelenic would be an understatement. He's been DFA'd four times, but is about to get another shot.
The New York Yankees are taking a low-risk swing on the former top prospect, signing the outfielder to a minor league contract after his latest roster setback with the Texas Rangers.

Kelenic, 27, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where the Yankees hope their player-development system can help revive a career that's never lived up to his first-round pick pedigree. 

His chances of making it to the Bronx this season are slim, however, as fellow left-handed hitting outfielders Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Spencer Jones are in the majors ahead of him, and of course, RH-hitting Aaron Judge will eventually be back (they hope).

Kelenic was DFA'd 4 times this season before signing with Yankees 

The former Seattle Mariners top farmhand was designated for assignment three times by the Texas Rangers this season, after having been DFA'd by the Chicago White Sox earlier in the year. The third time from Texas was the charm, finally sending him on his way to a new organization.

Originally selected sixth overall by the New York Mets in the 2018 draft, Kelenic was one of baseball’s most highly regarded prospects before being traded to Seattle in the blockbuster deal involving Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó. Despite flashes of his considerable talent, he has never established himself as a consistent major league hitter.

Kelenic has bounced between the Mariners, Atlanta Braves, White Sox and Rangers during his six-year major league career. This season, he has hit just .219 with one home run and six RBIs across 36 games. His career numbers are similarly underwhelming: a .211 batting average, a .655 OPS, 50 home runs and 162 RBIs in 443 games.

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