The Atlanta Braves finally gave up on outfielder Jarred Kelenic after weeks of struggling at the plate. Kelenic was put in the lineup consistently due to a complete lack of options. After Jurickson Profar was suspended, the team was forced to start a trio of Jarred Kelenic, Michael Harris, and Bryan De La Cruz until Alex Verdugo could get ready for the regular season. De La Cruz has since been cut while Kelenic was demoted to Gwinnett. This opened up the chance for the surprise emergence of Eli White and the valuable contributions of Alex Verdugo.
Still, Atlanta has an interesting problem on its hands when evaluating the future of Kelenic. The outfielder has three remaining years of team control after the 2025 season. Atlanta has a tough decision to make on what was a rare trade miss. Kelenic was expected to be a key piece of the outfield moving forward. However, not only did Kelenic fumble the chance to start, but the outfielder isn't the team's 4th or 5th best option.
Atlanta Must Find Jarred Kelenic a New Landing Spot After 2025 Failures
With the Braves expected to make moves ahead of this year's trade deadline, one must be dumping Kelenic. Give the outfielder a fresh start and turn the page on what was a failed trade for Atlanta. After a solid start to the 2024 season, Kelenic faded badly throughout the summer and became completely unplayable.
The same thing happened to start the 2025 season, with the Braves having less room for error. All of this adds up to a player who simply has played his way out of Atlanta's future. There isn't a reason to retain the contract with the team's current outfield. Kelenic would be better served to have a fresh start and a chance to carve out a new role.
It opens up the opportunity in Gwinnett for a younger player to garner more at-bats and gives Atlanta a clear page turn after a rare mistake. Kelenic's 2025 season was the final answer to whether or not there was a potential future in Atlanta. It is time for the Braves to turn the page and officially move on.