As he prepares to join the Braves, Jarred Kelinic is saying all the right things

Many fans are disappointed that the Braves have yet to make a splash in the offseason. They’ve focused on the margins, re-signing some of their own and bringing in two somewhat off-the-radar additions who could add a lot more to the club than many people expect.

About a month ago, the Braves signed Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year contract. He provides much-needed velocity and diversity to Atlanta’s bullpen, which currently appears to be one of the best in the league following a strong season this year. However, former sixth-round pick Jarred Kelenic appears to be the guy with the most potential among this winter’s acquisitions.

The Mets originally selected Kelenic sixth overall. Being chosen so high in a place like New York comes with a lot of pressure, and that pressure was only increased when he was included in a trade to the Mariners for great closer Edwin Diaz. In terms of market size, Seattle is nothing like New York, but being the focus of a deal for an All-Star usually comes with excessive expectations, which Kelenic hasn’t always managed correctly early in his career.

Kelenic fell well short of living up to his lofty prospect status in his first two seasons with the Mariners. He hit.168 with 21 homers in 147 games, but things began to turn around for him in year three.

Jarred Kelenic hit.309 with seven home runs and a.979 OPS in the first 28 games of the season. That victory, however, would not last long. He began to revert to his former ways, culminating in an incident in which he kicked a water cooler out of irritation, resulting in a shattered foot. Kelenic recognized at that point that things had to alter if he wanted to pursue his major-league dream.

A change of setting is often required for a player to reach his greatest potential. Kelenic’s acts may have become old in Seattle, but expectations in Atlanta will be different. He’ll be surrounded by All-Star quality, and he’s thrilled with the prospect.

“I was fired up because I knew I was going to a really good organization,” Jarred Kelenic explained. “They’ve had a winning history for the last however many years, and it’s no question that they were one of the best teams in baseball all last year and years prior.”

The Braves do not require Kelenic to be a superstar. He has the talent to be one, but all they’ll expect from him is to fit in, come to work every day prepared, hit a couple home runs into the chophouse, and play decent defense in left field. If Kelenic can accomplish this, he will be a less expensive version of Eddie Rosario. Anything else is just gravy. That should relieve a lot of strain on a player who has dealt with a lot of it early in his career and allow him to have pleasure playing a kid’s game again.

“I’ve wanted to play in the big leagues since I was a little kid,” Kelenic told Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It can’t happen when I’m in the big leagues and I break my foot out of frustration.” It helped me appreciate the game much more. I hadn’t felt that exhilaration even when I was on my rehab assignment and was just getting back on a baseball diamond. “I was just grateful to have the opportunity to be out there and play again.”

Blockbuster signings win the offseason, but World Series aren’t won in the offseason. Margin improvements are frequently the difference. Nobody is better than Alex Anthopoulos at making sure the roster is 1% better across the board, and he may have just struck gold with Jarred Kelenic.