The Atlanta Braves have announced that the club has signed All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar to a free-agent contract. The deal is worth $42M over three years. Profar, 32, is coming off the most productive season of his career with the San Diego Padres.
Once the top ranked prospect in all of baseball for the Texas Rangers, the first-time All-Star played in 158 games in 2024, hitting a career-high 24 home runs and drove in 85 runs. He finished 9th in the National League with 94 runs scored and tied for 8th in walks with 76. Profar has always drawn walks at a high rate and would be a logical fit to be placed at the top of the acclaimed Braves lineup along with Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. once he returns from his torn ACL. Something else that may have drawn the Braves’ interest in Profar is his versatility, having appeared at every position on the diamond except for pitcher and catcher. Numerous polls have shown that Braves fans feel that shortstop is the biggest need for Atlanta, where Profar has played 104 times over his career but not since 2018.
Profar is among a handful of Curaçao-native players to don a Braves uniform over the years, joining 10-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones, 4-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons, future Hall-of-Fame closer Kenley Jansen, former All-Star pitcher Jair Jurrjens and current star second baseman Ozzie Albies. When Profar was a kid, he watched Andruw Jones on TV, cheering on the Braves.
“I’m very excited, but no one is more excited than my 7-year-old son [Khairy]. I told him the Braves were interested and he was like, ‘You gotta go there. You gotta go there. What are you waiting for?” – Jurickson Profar, Braves outfielder
Since the Atlanta Braves were eliminated by the San Diego Padres in the 2024 Wild Card Series, the club has been relatively quiet. Star pitchers Max Fried and A.J. Minter signed with the Yankees and Mets respectively, and veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton inked a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The club traded outfielder Jorge Soler and catcher Travis d’Arnaud left in free agency, with both players headed to the Los Angeles Angels. The Braves have added some depth this winter, adding catcher Curt Casali, first baseman Garrett Cooper and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to Minor League deals.
