Profar agrees to $42M, 3-year contract with Braves, a year after getting $1M deal with Padres

Jurickson Profar agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, less than a year after the outfielder got a $1 million deal from the San Diego Padres with spring training already underway.

Profar revived his career with the Padres last year when he hit .280 with 24 home runs. Profar scored 94 runs, drove in 85 runs and had 10 stolen bases.

“Tapping into his power was the one piece that was going to elevate his bat,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Thursday night. “We believe what he did last year is who he is going forward.”

Atlanta does not expect 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. to be ready for the start of the season. Acuña tore his left ACL on May 26 and had surgery on June 6.

“We don’t have an ETA on him yet,” Anthopoulos said about Acuña before adding “He’s doing well.”

The Braves also signed Bryan De La Cruz to a one-year deal Dec. 16 to add outfield depth but otherwise had a quiet offseason before the addition of Profar.

Profar, a switch-hitter, will join Michael Harris, Jarred Kelenic, De La Cruz and Eli White as Atlanta’s top outfielders. Acuña could be ready to join the team in May or June.

Anthopoulos said Profar will play left field with Harris in center. Kelenic and De La Cruz could share time in a right-field platoon while Atlanta awaits Acuña’s return.

Profar enjoyed a long-awaited breakout at 31 after signing a one-year deal with San Diego. Profar finalized his $1 million deal with San Diego on Feb. 24 and earned an additional $2.5 million for plate appearances.

He made his major league debut with Texas as a 19-year-old regarded as one of the top prospects in the game and finally earned his first-All-Star berth in last season’s game played at Texas.

Profar set career highs in batting, home runs and RBI as well as with 158 hits. He was the starting left fielder for the NL in the All-Star game and earned his first Silver Slugger Award following the season.

Profar’s .280 batting average last season was only his third above .250. His career mark is .245 and he was released by Colorado after hitting .236 through 415 at-bats in 2023 before returning to San Diego.

Even so, Anthopoulos was sold on Profar’s 2024 production.

“We assessed the free-agent market, the trade market at the beginning of the offseason,” Anthopoulos said, adding “We had Jurickson as the second-best free-agent bat” behind Juan Soto, who signed with the NL East rival New York Mets.

Added Anthopoulos: “That was based on last season and how good he performed.”

Profar will make $12 million in 2025 and $15 million in each of the following two seasons. He will donate 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

Profar, a native of Curaçao, has a career .245 batting average over 11 seasons with 111 home runs. He has played every position except pitcher and catcher but was primarily a left fielder last season.

Infielder Connor Gillespie was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB