Poll: Where will Jurickson Profar sign?

After more than a decade in the majors, Jurickson Profather finally lived up to his best billing in 2024, his age-31 season. The switch hitter slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, 10 stolen bases and an NL-leading 18 hit-by-pitches. He did pretty much everything well, having a high walk rate, a low strikeout rate, and above average power numbers. His 139 wRC+ ranked 15th among qualified batters, while his 4.3 FanGraphs WAR placed him among the top 25 players in both leagues. Even better, his Statcast projected metrics matched his actual output; his .364 xwOBA put him in the 92nd percentile of MLB hitters. With numbers like that, it was no surprise that Profar started for the NL All-Stars in the summer and collected a Silver Slugger at the end of the year.

Profar turns 32 next month, and his age, along with his spotty track record from 2012-23, will limit his earning potential in free agency. This is why he ranked below other outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernandez on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, despite outperforming both of them in wRC+ and fWAR last season. Nevertheless, the possibility that he could repeat his All-Star performance in 2025 should entice more suitors, and for that reason, Profar is easily the best outfielder still available on the free agent market. What’s more, his ability to hit from both sides of the plate, along with the fact that he isn’t saddled with the qualifying offer or seeking a particularly long-term commitment (he’s eyeing a three-year deal) should make him a good fit for any team that needs a bat in a corner outfield spot.

With Santander off the market, the Profar rumor mill has indeed picked up steam in recent days. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com“a number of teams” are interested in his services, including the Blue Jays and Astros. After signing Santander, Toronto is cornered in the outfield department with Santander in left field and George Springer on the right. However, the Jays could still use another bat, and they could facilitate the addition of Profar by rotating Profar, Santander and Springer between the corner outfield and DH spots. GM Ross Atkins recently made it clear that the Blue Jays have money left to spend this winter as they strive to return to contention after a disappointing 2024. There’s no doubt that Profar would help them move toward this goal.

As for the Astros, they could desperately use some more dunk in the outfield after the trade Kyle Tucker for the kids. With manager Joe Espada at the post that Houston would like to limit Jordan Alvarez‘s playing time in the field, the club’s current away options include Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubonand Taylor Trammell. As I wrote back in December, “It’s no exaggeration to say it could be one of the worst offensive outfields among contending teams.” It is thus easy to see how Profar fits into the picture. The only question is whether GM Dana Brown has the salary flexibility to make such a signing. Earlier this month KPRC’s Ari Alexander reported that the Astros were “unlikely” to sign Santander because it would require a contract that would put them “well into the competitive balance sheet for the second straight season.” Profar won’t command quite as high a salary, but the Astros are already over the first luxury tax threshold as it is (per RosterResource). So Brown may need to make a trade to clear some salary before he can pursue more free agent additions. Letting Ryan Pressly’s salary of $14 million. from the books would definitely help.

While Feinsand did not name any other suitors, the Royals are another team that has been linked to Profar this winter. Joel Sherman from New York Post linked the two sides back in November, writing that the Royals had “eyes on” the left fielder. There hasn’t been much smoke to the fire since, though, and Sherman’s report came before Kansas City traded for Jonathan India. Still, the Royals continue to seek another at-bat for their lineup. Although reporting has suggested that they prefer to work in the trade market – they asked about Nolan Arenado earlier in the offseason – signing Profar is another path they could take.

Two additional landing spots to consider are the Angels and Tigers, both of whom were reportedly interested in Santander before he signed with the Blue Jays. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press described the Angels as one of the “frontrunners” to sign Santander, while Jon Heyman of the New York Post also mentioned Santander when linking the Angels Pete Alonsowho acknowledges that the outfielder was a better positional fit. The angels currently have Taylor Ward and Yes, Adele Penciled into the corner outfield spots, but Ward is a potential trade candidate (though rumors of his availability may have been exaggerated) and Adell has hardly done enough to warrant a guaranteed starting job. Anthony Franco recently wrote about what the Angels could do next in a post for MLBTR Front Office subscribers, and he touched on Profar as a potential target.

Meanwhile, Petzold described Santander as a potential backup plan for the Tigers if they couldn’t sign the third baseman Alex Bregman. Given that talks between Bregman and the Tigers have reportedly “stalled,” Detroit might turn to Profar. After all, if the Tigers had interest in one corner outfielder, it stands to reason they would have interest in another. While Riley Greene has one corner outfield spot on lock, manager AJ Hinch could play Profar at the other corner. In addition, Profar could occasionally join the division at DH Kerry Carpenterwho has struggled against left-handed pitching thus far in his young career.

It would also be foolish to count out a reunion between Profar and the Padres. San Diego clearly likes what he brings to the table, having acquired him four separate times, first in a trade and then as a free agent in 2021, ’23 and ’24. Also, Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller worked in the Rangers’ international scouting department when the team first acquired Profar in 2009. It’s hard to imagine Preller could have lost interest now, given that Profar is coming off the best season of his career. On top of that, the Padres certainly still have room for him as they have yet to make any moves to replace his bat in the lineup. The big question, however, is whether San Diego can afford to pay what Profar is seeking. The Padres are reportedly trying to reduce their payroll from their current $208MM projection (per RosterResource), meaning they may need to unload some salary before considering upgrades in free agency.

Another team that showed interest in Santander this winter was the Red Sox, but MassLive’s Chris Cotillo suggests that Boston is not actively pursuing Profar. It makes sense in light of manager Alex Cora’s recent comments, which he hopes to use Masataka Yoshida in the outfield more often; Boston’s outfield picture is already pretty crowded. In addition to Yoshida, the Red Sox have a couple of young, talented cornerbacks inside Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. They also plan to spend Ceddanne Rafaela as an outfielder “as much as possible” instead of shuttling him back and forth between shortstop and center field. On top of that, the Red Sox have top prospects Roman Antony to consider. The promising outfielder could be ready to make his MLB debut sometime in 2025.

Meanwhile, the Yankees and Mets were both serious suitors for Hernández earlier this winter, but the Yankees filled their outfield hole with Cody Bellingerwhile the Mets probably addressed that need by signing Jesse Winker. Other candidates who have already addressed needs in the corner outfield include the Orioles, Phillies, Cubs and Dodgers. In particular, the Braves are a team that is not on the list. While they haven’t been linked to any notable free agent outfielders so far this winter, they were believed to be exploring the outfield market back in November. They could certainly use another outfielder if Ronald Acuna Jr. opens the season on the injured list, and even when Acuña returns, they might prefer an upgrade over Jarred Kelenic. According to RosterResourcetheir projected payroll is currently about $31MM below last year’s final numbers, which should give them plenty of flexibility to offer Profar the kind of contract he’s looking for.

So where do MLBTR readers think Profar will ultimately end up? Have your say in the poll below: