This past offseason, the Atlanta Braves signed outfielder Jurickson Profar to give the offense a boost. After playing just four games in a Braves uniform, Profar was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for PEDs.
Profar will return to the Braves this week with the team hanging on to playoff chances by a thread. On several occasions, manager Brian Snitker has claimed that Atlanta is just searching for consistency and they are hoping Profar will provide that for them.
As Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes, Profar certainly cannot hurt the already struggling Braves offense but he is also far from all of the answers. If Atlanta wants to truly make a run at the postseason, more moves will need to be made.
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Braves putting too much faith in Jurickson Profar's return
Profar has proven that he is ready to return to the big leagues by posting absolutely dominant numbers in Triple-A during his rehab assignment. In 12 games, he has hit .326 with three homers and nine RBIs. While adding Profar to the big league roster will help Atlanta for the time-being, it also presents some unique challenges.
For one, deciding who will have to be removed from the Braves' major league roster will not be an easy choice. The outfield consists of Alex Verdugo, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. Most believe Verdugo will be the odd man out but he has been solid since putting on a Braves jersey.
Additionally, if Verdugo is let go and Profar does in fact somehow turn the Braves season around, he cannot participate in the playoffs. This could potentially create an even bigger issue for Atlanta when it matters most but perhaps the thought process is currently, "we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Profar does have experience at the shortstop position. The most logical solution in his return to prioritize offense would to move him to shortstop and remove Nick Allen from the everyday lineup. This move would also be tough to pull the trigger on as Allen has been fantastic defensively all season and has posted respectable numbers for a nine-hole hitter.
Profar's return creates so many moving parts for the Braves and seems to raise a lot more questions than answers. Where the team currently is, one more bat is not going to fix all of their woes. Starting pitching, relief pitching and another bat will remain areas for improvement in Atlanta through the trade deadline.