Padres to re-sign outfielder Jurickson Profar: Source
The San Diego Padres have agreed to re-sign veteran outfielder Jurickson Profar to a one-year, $1 million contract, a league source told The Athletic on Monday.
The deal, which is pending a physical and includes $1.5 million in performance bonuses, should help address an area that remains a dire need. Profar, who turns 31 next week, will join Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Azocar as the only outfielders on San Diego’s 40-man roster. The options besides those players include prospects Jackson Merrill and Jakob Marsee and fellow non-roster invitees Óscar Mercado, Cal Mitchell and Bryce Johnson.
“It’s a wide-open camp for the outfield, for our starting pitching, for our bench,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said.
Profar may now fit better as a fourth outfielder and bench bat, but he at least brings experience and familiarity. Profar was a solid albeit unspectacular contributor for the Padres from 2020-2022, after which he opted out of the final year of a three-year contract. He then signed a one-year, $7.75 million deal with the Colorado Rockies, but hit .236 with a .680 OPS before being released last August. Days later, he rejoined the Padres on a minor-league contract. He soon resurfaced with San Diego’s big-league club, hitting .295/.367/.409 in 49 plate appearances.
Profar figures to at least provide depth. He recently played 21 games in the Dominican Winter League, mostly appearing at left field and first base. He could see time at both positions this season, although his influence may be equally significant in the clubhouse. A popular teammate, Profar has long been close with such players as Tatis and infielders Ha-Seong Kim and Manny Machado.
“It’s hard to quantify; otherwise, we would have this thing figured out in our game,” Shildt said. “But having the experience and knowing how important clubhouses are, how important it is to have positive guys that also can share truths with everybody around them, hold guys accountable in a good way — Jurickson brings that.”
The Padres will continue to seek outfield additions in free agency or potential trades. In recent weeks, they have had discussions with teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers and the Boston Red Sox, but no trade appeared imminent as spring training opened in Peoria, Ariz., this week.
