Padres’ dysfunction seems to have helped Braves land Jurickson Profar

BySteven Teal|
Houston Astros v San Diego Padres
Houston Astros v San Diego Padres | Denis Poroy/GettyImages

Jurickson Profar was just a perfect fit for the Atlanta Braves this offseason. His breakout year with the Padres in 2024 earned him his first All-Star selection and a nice pay raise. Profar was paid just $1 million last year but is now slated to make $12 million with the Braves in 2025.

That seemed like incentive enough to leave a team he seemed to gel with in San Diego. However, during a Zoom interview with Braves insiders, Profar revealed there was another reason behind his decision to leave the Padres.

San Diego has barely added any players to their roster this offseason and has lost some key contributors including Profar, Tanner Scott, and Kyle Higashioka. It's been a drama-filled offseason for the front office and that hasn't helped things.

Padres dysfunctional ownership situation helped the Braves land Jurickson Profar

Profar pointed to this as he mentioned issues ongoing with Padres ownership in his meeting with Atlanta's media team. He stated, “Obviously the Padres have some issue with the ownership and all that." Profar continued, "It was difficult to go back (to San Diego), but [Braves general manager] Alex [Anthopoulous] showed a lot, a lot of interest in me and I loved that. He gave me a lot of confidence to come to the team and to perform."

That's great to hear because Profar feeling invested in is a big deal as it can alleviate any concerns he may have had about playing for a new team. Having his confidence will allow him to repeat the success he found last season.

If you're unaware of the ownership issues he referred to, let's fill you in. Padres owner Peter Seidler sadly passed away in November 2023. In early January 2025, his wife, Sheel Siedler sued her brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert. This lawsuit was filed to try and prevent their brother John from taking control of the team instead of her. She issued a letter to fans stating she had filed a complaint against them with "irreconcilable conflicts of interest." The Seidler brothers refuted many of her claims in their own letter shortly after.

This has caused a lot of distraction for the Padres who have only added a few minor free agents this offseason. They missed out on their biggest target, Roki Sasaki, who ended up signing with the Dodgers. Sasaki also mentioned in his introductory press conference that LA's front office stability stood out to him during his decision-making process. That is not a good sign for San Diego.

It seems this issue has pushed a lot of potential free agents away from the organization, including Profar. The Padres and Profar's management were never close to a reunion deal, per reports. A.J. Preller is good at his job and will eventually address the team's needs. However, this dysfunction has benefitted the Braves and allowed them to add a very talented player to their roster.

Profar is very excited to play for the Braves as he's been watching them since he was a kid. He can't wait to share the clubhouse with fellow Curaçao native and fan-favorite Ozzie Albies. He's ready to help the Braves push for another World Series win.

“I’ll prepare myself this year to be like last year, or even better. I'm very confident I can help the Braves win a lot of games and go to the playoffs and win the World Series again.”

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