Less than a month ago on February 16th, it was announced that Cole Phillips was going to undergo Tommy John surgery. This was significant because Phillips was the main prospect going back to Seattle when the Atlanta Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic.
That trade was mostly a salary dump for Seattle. As they moved Marco Gonzales and Evan White with Kelenic to get off of their salaries. In return, the Braves sent back Cole Phillips who was their second-round pick back in 2022. The Mariners also received Jackson Kowar, who the Braves had acquired earlier this offseason for Kyle Wright.
Jackson Kowar will undergo Tommy John surgery as well.
Mariners' Jackson Kowar To Undergo Tommy John Surgery https://t.co/KbAulqqKvP pic.twitter.com/vtf7L1rTQ6
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) March 10, 2024
Kowar has struggled mightily in his time in the major leagues but this is still a tough break for Seattle considering that this means both pitchers acquired in the trade will be out for significant time. Phillips will be undergoing his second procedure and has yet to throw a professional inning since being drafted.
Add in that the trade was not well received by many Mariners fans due to it being mostly a salary dump that also meant they were giving up on a former top prospect and this just continues to make the trade tougher to swallow.
For the Braves, they were able to move some of the salary they took on for both Gonzales and White but they were looking for a low cost move to potentially find their left fielder for the next few years. Now with both pitchers they relinquished hitting the shelf for over a year with Tommy John, the Braves move for Kelenic can really be looked at as super low cost.
If Kelenic provides the value that Eddie Rosario provided the Braves, then it can be seen as a win from the team's perspective. Imagine if Kevin Seitzer can unlock a little more in Kelenic's swing though.