Braves sign Profar to 3-year, $42M contract
The Atlanta Braves made their first big strike of the offseason Thursday, signing All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42-million contract.
Profar will earn $12 million this season and $15 million in 2026 and in '27, the Braves announced.
Profar, who turns 32 in February, joins the Braves after turning in a career season with the San Diego Padres in 2024 on a one-year, $1-million deal. He won a Silver Slugger and received downballot NL MVP support after hitting .280/.380/.459 with a 134 OPS+, 24 homers, 85 RBIs, and 10 steals across 158 games. His 4.3 fWAR ranked second on the Padres.
The Curaçao native should slot in as Atlanta's Opening Day left fielder, where he'll be an upgrade over the projected platoon of Jarred Kelenic and Eli White. With Profar on the roster, Atlanta can use either the Kelenic-White platoon or Bryan De La Cruz in right field to start the year until Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to return from a torn ACL.
Profar's signing marks the first MLB contract handed out by Atlanta this winter. The Braves lost ace Max Fried, right-hander Charlie Morton, and catcher Travis d'Arnaud in free agency and dealt outfielder Jorge Soler to the Angels in a salary dump. General manager Alex Anthopoulos' only offseason signing prior to Thursday was De La Cruz on a split contract.
Once the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, Profar reached the majors with Texas as a teenager in 2012. However, he struggled to live up to expectations following a shoulder injury that cost him two full seasons.
Profar is a lifetime .245/.331/.395 hitter with 111 homers and 444 RBIs across parts of 11 big-league seasons with four teams. Originally a shortstop, he spent several years as a versatile utility player, appearing at seven different positions. Profar's primarily been a left fielder since 2022, although he's made occasional appearances in right, first base, and second over the last few years.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros reportedly showed interest in Profar before he chose to sign in Atlanta.
The Braves designated right-hander Connor Gillispie for assignment to make room for Profar on the 40-man roster.