The Atlanta Braves announced Thursday they have signed free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal. Robert Murray of FanSided reported earlier that the two sides were in agreement. In a corresponding move, Atlanta designated right-hander Connor Gillispie for assignment. Profar will earn $12 million for the 2025 season and $15 million in each of the next two seasons.

It’s been a continuing roller coaster for Profar in his career. The 32-year-old was once considered one the of league’s top prospects when he made his major league debut as a 19-year-old despite struggling in his first few seasons. Unfortunately for Profar, his career has come with plenty of ups and downs where he has shown every bit of his potential and struggled immensely at other times with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies.

After solid years in 2018 and 2019 where Profar his 20 home runs per season, he spent three seasons in San Diego from 2020-2022. He put up quality numbers in 2020 and 2022, while 2021 was one of his inconsistent years at the plate. In 2022 he slashed .243/.331/.391 with 15 home runs in 152 games, accumulating 3.0 rWAR, the best overall season of his career. His production that season led him to opt out of his contract with the Padres, instead testing the free agent market in search of a new multi-year deal. However, Profar was unable to find such as a deal as he went unsigned through the majority of Spring Training, spending time with the Nederlands in the World Baseball Classic. He wouldn’t sign until the final week of March when the Rockies inked him to a $7.75 million deal.

The absence of a Spring Training among other things likely had an inverse impact on Profar as he put up one of the worst seasons of his career as a member of the Rockies. In 111 games the switch-hitter slashed .236/.316/.364 with eight home runs, 25 doubles, and 39 RBI. His lack of production and the Rockies’ desire to give a look to some other players led them to cut him in August 2023, where he returned to the Padres to finish the rest of the season. The return to San Diego resonated with Profar as he put up a .295 AVG in 14 games down the stretch.

His fondness for San Diego and his lack of production in 2023 allowed the Padres to sign Profar to a one-year, $1 million deal for the 2024 season. The signing ended up as one of the greatest bargains as Profar put up the best overall season of his career. He appeared in 158 games and stepped to the plate 668 times. His 15.1% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate were both strong numbers and in-line with his typical career numbers. However, he managed to do more damage when he connected, slugging a career-high 24 home runs. The three numbers in his .280/.380/.459 slash line were all personal bests as well, apart from a .471 slugging percentage in his nine-game debut back in 2012. His 139 wRC+ easily surpassed his previous personal high of 113 and put him in the top 15 among qualified hitters last year. He also did that damage from both sides of the plate, with a 137 wRC+ as a lefty and 147 as a righty. He earned career firsts with an All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award and finished 15th in the National League MVP voting.

The encouragement went beyond the typical counting stats as Profar also had  44.8% hard-hit rate to go along with a 7.2% barrel rate which blew anything he had previously done in his career out of the water. Additionally, his .302 batting average on balls in play was better than the league average (.291) while being another career-best. He was hitting the ball in the air more, hitting it harder, and maintained his excellent plate discipline. The tools have always been there for Profar, but the consistency at the plate will always leave some essence of doubt.

Regardless, the Braves seem encouraged by his production over the last five or seven seasons. Since 2018, Profar has batted .248/.336/.408 with 99 home runs in 913 games and has been worth 8.1 rWAR with 550 strikeouts against 365 walks. Offensively there is a lot to like and Profar can help provide an offensive boost to a team that has been somewhat conservative in crafting their roster for 2025. Profar’s plate discipline makes him a natural fit at the top of the lineup behind Michael Harris II, setting the table for the likes of a healthy Austin Riley and productive Matt Olson while the team also waits for Ronald Acuña Jr. to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee last season.

The Braves also seem to be willing to sacrifice defensively in the outfield once again. Originally a middle infielder in the early part of his career, Profar has mainly been a left fielder since 2020. He played just 18 innings at first base in 2024 but that’s been the only position outside of left he’s played. It’s a matter of risk and reward as Profar’s worth has been carried by his offensive production. Defensively he hasn’t been well regarded in left field, accumulating -8 Defensive Runs Saved and -6 Outs Above Average. He isn’t particularly quick, though he can steal the occasional base, limiting his range and a fairly average arm. He appeared a better fit in San Diego’s outfield but the cracks showed when playing a larger left field like Coors Field in 2023. Atlanta doesn’t have as many extremes at Truist Park, resulting in a somewhat more neutral environment for Profar. They will have to hope for the best defensively due to the presence of Marcell Ozuna who will take the bulk of at-bats in the designated hitter spot.

With Profar presumably taking over in left field, the Braves will likely deploy Harris II in center field and allow Jarred Kelenic to man right field. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners last offseason, Kelenic didn’t exactly pan out how the team hoped, slashing  .231/.286/.393 for a wRC+ of 86, but he did add 15 home runs while continuing to play average defense. How things shake out when Acuña returns remains to be seen but the likelihood of Profar being a platoon bat after his 2024 campaign and new contract is off the table.

The deal for Profar marks the first significant offensive addition by President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos who has spent the majority of the offseason making subtractions offensively to gain financial breathing room. He flipped Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels in a salary dump while cutting Ramon Laureano, both of whom played a good chunk of outfield innings in the second half of 2024. Additionally, the team declined the option of Travis d’Arnaud. So far the Braves have reconstructed the deals of pitchers Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo Lopez and may still be looking to add pitching, especially after Max Fried left for the New York Yankees in free agency.

For the most part, the Braves are well-established position-wise thanks to their core of players who are locked up for years to come, making the signing of Profar a significant short-term addition. He gives the team some positional versatility if needed, and his switch-hitting capabilities could be a steady advantage for the team to use as they look to regain control of a competitive NL East.