MLB Insider details on recent Jurickson Profar, Jacob Brentz signings

Free agency is almost over, especially with Jurickson Profar off the board and headed to the Colorado Rockies. Here are the details.

With Opening Day just over a week away, the MLB free-agent market has been mostly picked through. But there have still been some intriguing players that remained unsigned, headlined by former San Diego Padres infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar.

But Profar eventually signed with the Rockies on a one-year contract after the team dealt with an assortment of injuries during the spring, with Colorado also signing veteran infielder Mike Moustakas to a minor-league contract.

Profar now becomes a prominent trade candidate and Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt will be in position to secure a prospect or two for his services come the July 31 trade deadline. For now, however, Profar will upgrade a lineup that desperately needed additional talent and could use playing at the hitter-friendly Coors Field as a platform to cash in on a multi-year deal next offseason.

Here’s a breakdown of the Profar signing, as well as Jacob Brentz’s two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.

MLB Insider details Jurickson Profar, Jacob Brentz contracts

Jurickson Profar, Colorado Rockies

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a one-year, $7.75 million contract, according to a source familiar with the deal. The deal contains a $1 million bonus for 400 plate appearances.

The contract also contains $100,000 for All-Star, Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, Comeback Player of the Year and World Series MVP, as well as $250,000 for MVP, $75,00 for LCS MVP and $25,000 for Gold Glove.

Profar, 30, had perhaps the most baffling offseason of any player. He turned down a player option with the San Diego Padres in hopes of securing a multi-year deal. His market was relatively quiet all winter and was the last big-name free agent left unsigned, eventually having to settle for a one-year contract with Colorado.

Still, Profar figures to contribute in Colorado as he’s coming off a season in which he hit .243/.331/.391 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. In nine major-league seasons, he’s hitting .238/.322/.386 with a .708 OPS, 78 home runs and 313 RBI.

Jacob Brentz, Kansas City Royals

Free-agent reliever Jake Brentz and the Colorado Rockies are in agreement on a two-year, $1.9 million contract, according to a source familiar with the deal. The deal pays $850,000 in 2023 and $1.050 million in 2024.

The contract also includes $50,000 for 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 games finished. It also includes $50,000 each for 90 and 120 days on the active roster.

Brentz, 28, underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow last July and is expected to miss most, and perhaps all, of the 2023 season. But the Royals clearly believe that Brentz will contribute in 2024 and must have been intrigued with what he showed with the team in 2021, where he pitched in 72 games (64 innings) and posted a 3.66 ERA and 76 strikeouts.