It had been an unusually quiet offseason for the Atlanta Braves. Usually, Alex Anthopoulos strikes early to add to the team’s roster. They quickly traded Jorge Soler the day after the World Series to create more salary space.
Atlanta then restructured the contracts of Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo Lopez to help open up room in the budget as well. However, things were pretty quiet after that, and the Braves lost a good bit of their roster. Travis d’Arnaud, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and A.J. Minter all exited via free agency.
Soler being traded along with the free agent losses have left the team with a few holes to fill this offseason, either internally or externally. For a while, it felt like nothing significant would happen as Atlanta just continued to build depth with minor trades and free agent additions.
Fans began to wonder if the Braves would do anything noteworthy and if AA had lost his mojo. Atlanta was tied to a couple of major free agents including Tanner Scott and Jeff Hoffman.
Scott followed suit with many major free agents and signed with the dreaded Dodgers. However, Hoffman reportedly had agreed to a deal with the Braves earlier in the offseason but it fell through due to concerns over the health of his shoulder.
It just felt like the team was missing out on any player they had an interest in. There were even reports that Atlanta considered trading for Garrett Crochet. It was just frustrating to see other teams add with seemingly nothing happening on the Braves side. However, some fans seem to forget that he has a knack for waiting for the right deal to present itself.
What do the Braves like so much about Jurickson Profar?
Alex Anthopoulos told reporters they believe in the results and swing changes for 2024, lower half/leg kick/opened up stance that led to career bests in exit velocity and home runs. pic.twitter.com/HieapD6zo8
— CJ (@CJNitkowski) January 24, 2025
It was touch and go, but Braves’ patience this offseason finally paid off yet again with Profar signing
That patience paid off for AA as the team signed All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $42 million contract. It is an incredibly team-friendly contract and a huge win for the front office. Profar isn’t the greatest defender but he is excellent offensively. He doesn’t strike out a lot and walks a lot. That plate discipline is what made him such a great hitter in 2024.
There were concerns he would also be priced out of Atlanta’s range because of the deal Anthony Santander signed with the Blue Jays. Free agents have signed insanely expensive contracts this offseason. Santander ended up with a five-year, $92.5 million contract which is a long commitment for a bat that may not age well.
Alex Anthopoulos seemed thrilled with Profar’s addition and that his bat will continue to be valuable. He stated, “Based on last year, we had Jurickson as the second-best free-agent bat.” This is a very high compliment considering Juan Soto was part of this year’s free agent class. AA added further, “We believe who he was last year is who he is going forward.”
The Braves seemed to have landed the perfect addition. Profar grew up watching the Braves and is very excited to join the organization that houses his fellow countrymen, Ozzie Albies and Chadwick Tromp. He will be a great addition to the top of the lineup and his personality is also a perfect fit for the clubhouse.
