Braves Get Seriously Bad News on $42 Million Signing After Team’s Brutal Start
Coming off a streak of seven straight seasosn of postseason play, including a World Series victory in 2021 — just the fourth in the three-city-spanning history of the franchise — the Atlanta Braves were curiously passive over the offseason. They made no noteworthy free agent signings in 2024, sticking mainly to small deals for minor league contracts. Finally, on January 23, 2025, the Braves struck.
The club signed former San Diego Padres free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year deal worth $42 million. The deal was certainly welcomed by fans of the team, who were puzzled why the Braves did not move quicker to find a new, quality outfielder who could make up for the loss of Ronald Acuña Jr., who continues to sit out as he recovers from his second ACL knee surgery.
The four-time All-Star, 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 MVP is not expected back in the Atlanta lineup until late May at the earliest. The Braves hoped that signing the 32-year-old, 12-year veteran Profar would help patch up the outfield, as the native of Willemstad, Curacao, posted a career season in 2024.
Profar, then a member of the Padres, was selected to his first All-Star team and finished the season with 24 home runs and an .839 OPS, also winning his first Silver Slugger award in the process.
Seriously Ugly Start to 2025 For Atlanta
