The Atlanta Braves have had a very disappointing season. They are 47-65 and sit 17.5 games back of first place in the NL East. Their chances at a Wild Card berth aren't good either; in fact, the Braves fell well out of contention very early in the season. To be fair, their pitching staff was torn apart by injuries, but that isn't the only reason they've floundered.
The team made only one major offseason addition, signing Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million contract towards the end of the winter. However, Profar was suspended 80 games for PED use and also hasn't performed well upon his return. By making this move, GM Alex Anthopoulos put the Braves in a bad position and may have ultimately given them the kiss of death for 2025.
Jurickson Profar signing may have ruined Braves season
Profar was an All-Star for the first time last season with the San Diego Padres. He hit .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a 3.6 WAR and an .839 OPS. Needless to say, that success was perfectly timed with free agency coming right up for the veteran switch hitter.
Atlanta signed him late in the offseason and intended for him to be an everyday player. He still has been an everyday player, but not a productive one: This year, he's hitting just .237/.320/.397 with four home runs, 12 RBI, a -0.2 WAR and a .717 OPS.
These numbers are a far cry from what he put up in 2024, and the numbers he had last year may have been a result of him taking PEDs, which could in part explain why he has struggled this year.
Anthopoulos deserves a lot of credit for being able to build a long-standing contender and make the right roster moves to help the Braves sustain that success. But this is one move he likely won't look back on too fondly in the years to come.
Of course, Profar could bounce back in 2026 and repeat his success from the 2024 season. But right now, this contract doesn't appear to be a very fruitful endeavor for Anthopoulos.
It will be interesting to see if Profar can potentially turn things around late in the season and help the Braves play a little spoiler against postseason hopefuls. The talent is certainly there, but the contract to sign him isn't looking good.