When the Atlanta Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic ahead of the 2024 MLB season, many expected the former top prospect to finally realize his immense potential.
He was set to join a stacked Braves roster, hoping to establish himself, but that simply has not happened. In fact, Kelenic has made more headlines with his lack of hustle than he has for outstanding play this season.
Given his struggles, the Braves sent him down to Triple-A on Monday, in what can only be described as a shocking roster move.
There was reason to believe Kelenic had some time to figure things out with Ronald Acuña Jr. injured and Jurickson Profar suspended, but as it turns out, he had anything but time.
The #Braves today reported RHP Ian Anderson to Atlanta after optioning RHP Davis Daniel to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game. The club today also signed OF Eddie Rosario to a major league contract, and optioned OF Jarred Kelenic to the Stripers. To make room on the…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 28, 2025
As shocking as it was to see the Braves send Kelenic down, it was even more surprising to see his replacement be former World Series hero Eddie Rosario, who they signed to a major league contract.
Braves Eddie Rosario move reeks of nothing but desperation
Rosario is a beloved figure in Atlanta for a reason. He played an instrumental role in the team’s World Series win back in 2021, winning the NLCS MVP award and playing every inning of the Fall Classic. With that being said, Rosario’s best moments came four years ago. He is not close to the same player now as he was back then.
Last season saw Rosario struggle so mightily in 67 games with the Washington Nationals to the point where they DFA’d him. The Braves eventually picked him up thanks in large part to a myriad of injuries they were dealing with, but he slashed .154/.181/.282 in 24 games with Atlanta. Even with their injuries, they deemed him not good enough to stick around and eventually DFA’d him.
This past offseason, the 33-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He wound up appearing in a couple of games with the Dodgers in mid-April, but had one hit in four at-bats before getting DFA’d and outrighted to Triple-A. Rosario elected free agency, which is why he was available for the taking for Atlanta.
Atlanta’s infatuation with Rosario, once a hero in the city, makes sense, but it’s time for Alex Anthopoulos to get with the times. Again, Rosario is not the player he was back then. He has been worth -2.1 fWAR since his torrid 2021 postseason, the worst mark among position players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.
Kelenic has not performed like a MLB player during his time with the Braves and might benefit from a stint in Triple-A, but as bad as he’s been, Rosario is worse. He is not the answer. It’s hard seeing this swap play out how the Braves hope it will, even if Kelenic shows signs of life in the minor leagues.
