The Battle for Profar: Top Teams Gearing up to Land the Coveted Free Agent

The free agent hot stove is heating up as we head into the heart of the 2024-25 MLB offseason, and one of the prime positions that has drawn plenty of headlines so far has been the corner outfield.

While the attention has primarily focused on mega-star Juan Soto and his impending free agent decision, the corner outfield market is fairly robust this winter, with several other quality names available to be signed, like Jurickson Profar.

Profar is coming off a career year in 2024 in which he slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 HR, 85 RBI, a 139 wRC+ and 4.3 fWAR, resulting in his first career All-Star selection.

The 31-year-old switch hitter also had one of the league’s better approaches at the plate in 2024, ranking in the 89th percentile in walk rate, the 88th percentile in strikeout rate, and the 90th percentile in both chase and whiff rate.

After signing consecutive one-year, low-money deals the last two offseasons, his career year has him in the driver’s seat to sign a multi-year deal for a decent chunk of change this time around.

Here are some top suitors who could go after Profar in free agency this winter.

San Diego Padres

Some things just go so well together, and the Padres and Profar might just be the perfect match for each other.

San Diego has been the recipient of Profar’s only seasons with a wRC+ above 110, after he posted a 113 wRC+ in 2020, a 110 wRC+ in 2022 and this year’s career-high 139 wRC+.

And Profar fit in so well amongst the top five in the Padres’ order, alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Luis Arráez. He spent most of his time in either the two-hole or three-hole in the lineup.

His best run production came hitting second (10 HR and 29 RBI), while his hitting overall was best in the three-hole (.304 AVG and an .846 OPS).

Profar seemed to thrive in San Diego because he wasn’t pressured to be one of the top guys in the lineup and had the proper protection around him. Profar just had to be the fifth-best hitter for San Diego.

Just look at how different things were for him in his brief hiatus from the Padres in 2023 when he was a member of the Colorado Rockies for most of the year. That team wasn’t filled with many top-end bats. Profar posted just a 74 wRC+ and a .680 OPS with the Rockies before being released.

He performs well in the heart of this order, hits well at Petco Park (career .792 OPS, 126 wRC+) and San Diego just had one of the best seasons in franchise history, so why not run it back again and keep Profar in the mix for the foreseeable future? This team clearly knows how to get the best out of him.

Atlanta Braves

If we’re looking for other scenarios in which Profar would have the lineup support and protection around him to thrive, why not look at a team that boasts a lineup with Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies.

The Braves lineup is just as stacked as the Padres lineup, if not more, but that’s not the only reason Profar fits. One of their most glaring needs for 2025 is corner outfield help.

Current left fielder Jarred Kelenic posted just an 86 wRC+ and .679 OPS in 449 plate appearances in 2024, while Eli White is currently projected to start the year in right field, according to RosterResource, despite just 59 regular season plate appearances in the last two years.

Profar would provide an immediate upgrade to a Braves outfield that ranked tied for 21st in wRC+, and tied for 20th in both OPS and AVG this past season.

As a perennial contender with countless stars on the payroll for 2025 and beyond, Atlanta is one of the more intriguing destinations for any free agent.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The way the Dodgers spend will more often than not have them as a top landing spot for many of the bigger names available on the open market.

But this goes beyond just the ability to spend here, as the Dodgers can provide Profar with the type of environment he had with the Padres to help him thrive.

We’ve discussed how Profar found success in the heart of a great lineup, and what better lineup to be in than one that features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Will Smith, among others?

We saw how well Teoscar Hernández thrived hitting amidst that star-studded cast in 2024. So now that Hernández is a free agent, Profar could step in and fill that same role while taking over left field duties for Los Angeles, should a reunion with Hernández not be in the cards for 2025.

Plus, adding another high-end switch-hitting option to the mix alongside Tommy Edman would offer the Dodgers just another slight wrinkle to throw at opponents to further increase the difficulty of pitching to their lineup.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are another team that will potentially need a new corner outfielder after their All-Star corner option, Anthony Santander, hit the open market.

This is where Profar could come into play, slotting into a lineup that’s filled with promising young talent.

He could easily insert himself into the top portion of the order, where Santander used to hit, alongside the likes of MVP-caliber shortstop Gunnar Henderson, fellow switch hitter Adley Rutschman and AL Rookie of the Year finalist Colton Cowser.

Between Profar and Santander, it’s important to note that despite Santander’s better SLG in 2024, Profar posted a higher AVG, a higher OPS and a higher wRC+.

So, even though the O’s are potentially losing a 40+ HR hitter, Profar could be an upgrade for Baltimore, easing much of the sting that losing Santander could normally have on a squad.

Arizona Diamondbacks

If Profar thrives as part of a strong offense, how about Arizona for a fit? The D-backs were one of the best lineups, if not the best lineup, in baseball this past season. They finished with the most RBI, the fifth-most HRs, tied for the third-highest wRC+ and the second-best OPS.

Now, the D-backs aren’t exactly in dire need of an outfielder with Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas already on the roster. Financially speaking, they are reportedly not too keen on increasing the payroll. Still, they’re likely in the market for bats now that Christian Walker and Joc Pederson are free agents.

Pederson’s loss, in particular, opens some at-bats at the DH position. And with Profar not being a well-regarded defender, his value comes almost solely from his bat. That’s DH a viable option for him.

And Alek Thomas has been very disappointing at the plate early in his career. He put up just a 65 wRC+ in 103 plate appearances in 2024, which was preceded by only a 70 wRC+ in 2023 and a 71 wRC+ in his rookie year in 2022.

With McCarthy’s ability to play center (499.1 innings in 2024), it’s not egregious to think he could push Thomas to the bench, thus opening up a spot in the corner for Profar.

If it’s the other way around, and the rumors of a McCarthy trade come to fruition, then there’s definitely space for the D-backs to add in the outfield.

Arizona could offer Profar the opportunity to get everyday at-bats between left field and designated hitter all while hitting in the heart of a contending lineup featuring the likes of Carroll, Ketel Marte and Eugenio Suárez. I could think of worse options for a free agent.