It did not take long for Atlanta Braves fans' excitement after the signing of Jurickson Profar to turn to horror in 2025. After just four games, Profar was suspended 80 games for PEDs and it was the beginning of what turned out to be a brutal downward spiral for the Braves. Profar did manage a .803 OPS in the 76 games he played upon his return, but the damage was done.
This put Braves fans in a weird position. On the one hand, Profar served his punishment and he is under contract with Atlanta making real money through 2027, so getting production out of him is desirable. However, PED suspensions are a surefire way to make fans (and possibly teammates) turn against you and many in Braves Country regret the team signing him at all.
However, a funny thing happened on Wednesday evening when it was revealed that the Braves had agreed to terms with Mike Yastrzemski. Not only did it give the Braves a number of new lineup options, but it also may have made Profar a lot more expendable.
Braves' offseason direction could inevitably lead to Jurickson Profar's exit at this rate
It is important to first understand what we already know about the Braves this offseason. We know that they would probably like to free up a bit of payroll to make the moves they want to make. We also know that they are prioritizing flexibility (see: the Mauricio Dubon trade as well as Alex Anthopoulos' comments on preferring to not have a full-time DH).
Well, Profar is making $15 million a year for the next two years, money that could go towards a top starter, bullpen reinforcements, or even an everyday shortstop that is increasingly likely to have to come via trade. That would make Profar a uniquely valuable trade chip to a team in need of offense. Moving Profar would also not only get the stink of his suspension off the team, but would improve Atlanta's outfield defense considerably even if Yastrzemski's defensive decline continues as Profar is quite bad out there in left and he definitely shouldn't be playing in the field anywhere else.
As with anything, the trick is finding a deal that makes sense for the Braves in terms of creating a path to making the team actually better. Atlanta isn't just wanting to save money for the sake of it (we hope). Most of Profar's salary would have to move in addition to getting a real return for him to make this make sense. However, there is a nonzero chance it could happen especially with Yastrzemski in the fold now.