Whether it was squaring off against the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers, outfielder Jarred Kelenic always enjoyed returning to places close to home.
“I grew up in that area, until I was 18, and I was in Chicago quite a bit, whether it was playing or visiting just with my family,” said Kelenic, a native of Waukesha, Wis., during a videoconference call Wednesday. “The cool part of being in that city is thinking of those memories and just it being a place that I’ve had so much history with — not only just baseball but off-the-field stuff too.
“Chicago is my favorite city that I have ever played in. So, to be able to potentially call that home, I’m looking forward to that.”
Kelenic is aiming for an extended stay in the upcoming season after agreeing to a minor-league deal with the Sox on Dec. 31. He’ll be a nonroster invitee to the team’s major-league spring training camp.
A first-round pick by the New York Mets in 2018, Kelenic has a career .211/.282/.376 slash line with 63 doubles, 49 home runs, 156 RBIs and 130 walks during parts of five seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2021-23) and Atlanta Braves (2024-25).
Kelenic played in a career-high 131 games for the Braves in 2024. He spent the bulk of 2025 at Triple-A Gwinnett (95 games), and also hit .167 with two home runs and two RBIs in 24 games with the Braves.
“I’m still working to be as consistent as I possibly can,” Kelenic said. “I think consistency is the name of the game. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs and I’m just trying to learn from those and attack them and grow as a baseball and as a teammate.”
Kelenic, 26, could become a contributor for a club that wanted to target outfield depth, particularly on corners, during the offseason. In November, the Sox acquired outfielder Everson Pereira as part of a trade that sent pitchers Yoendrys Gómez and Steven Wilson to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team’s offseason checklist also included addressing starting and relief pitching, along with adding a left-handed-hitting infielder. The biggest splash took place in December when they signed two-time Nippon Professional Baseball Japanese Central League Most Valuable Player Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal.
The 25-year-old Murakami, who will play first base, hit 246 home runs during eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows — including 56 in 2022.
The Sox also looked to Japan in terms of pitching, finalizing a two-year, $12 million contract with left-hander Anthony Kay on Dec. 9. Kay, 30, spent last season with the Yokohama BayStars. He has five seasons of big-league experience with the Toronto Blue Jays (2019-22), Cubs (2023) and Mets (2023).
The White Sox added two pitchers who spent portions of 2025 with the Boston Red Sox, trading for Chris Murphy in November and signing Sean Newcomb to a one-year deal in December. They also made two selections in the Rule 5 draft, picking up right-handers Jedixson Paez from the Red Sox organization and Alexander Alberto from the Rays organization.
In general, manager Will Venable said the moves have been “very thoughtful.”
“No. 1, these guys are guys that are young, physical, athletic guys,” Venable said during a videoconference call last week. “I don’t think any manager is going to have a problem with that. That you continue to add those types of bodies is great. But they also have a ton of upside.
“Even someone like Anthony Kay who had his stint here (in the majors), goes over (to Japan), I think there’s upside there that we can tap into. (Newcomb), obviously Mune, these guys, there’s some real upside. It will be our job to create an environment and support them with everything we can to help them be at their best. But for me I think the thing that really sticks out is you’ve got guys that have really high ceilings, and that’s exciting.”
Spring training is less than a month away, with pitchers and catchers slated to report to camp Feb. 10. It will be interesting to watch how the pitching shakes out, along with which players join the likes of Luis Robert Jr. — whose $20 million club option was picked up in November — and Andrew Benintendi in the outfield.
“I’m looking forward to going out there and proving the player that I can be,” Kelenic said. “I’m looking forward to playing with another group of guys. I’ve been traded a couple of times. One of the cool things is you get to meet a whole different group of players and build so many more friendships. That’s definitely an exciting thing for me.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the guys, getting to know the organization and doing everything I can to help the team win.”