Twin Cities Bound: Padres All-Star Ditches San Diego for $39 Million Payday with Twins
The San Diego Padres brought Jurickson Profar back for the 2024 season and he was a revelation.
Profar at one point was one of the top prospects in baseball, but he has been inconsistent at the big league level. While this is the case, he re-joined the Padres for the 2024 season and had a breakout campaign.
The 31-year-old earned his first All-Star nod and hit 24 home runs and drove in 85 runs. He also slashed .280/.380/.459 across 158 games played. He was phenomenal and it would make sense to bring him back again in free agency.
It would make a lot of sense to keep him around, but The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicted that he will sign a projected three-year, $39 million deal with the Minnesota Twins this offseason.
“Minnesota Twins — Jurickson Profar, LF (three years, $39 million),” Bowden said. “The Twins are looking to improve on the outfield corners and signing Profar would make sense if they can work around their payroll situation and free up dollars. The versatile 31-year-old was one of the best value signings last offseason.
“He hit .280 with 24 home runs, 29 doubles and 10 stolen bases for San Diego, and finished second in the National League with a .380 on-base percentage. He plays with high energy and enthusiasm, and it rubs off on his teammates. I like the fit with the Twins mainly because he hit .300 with an .885 OPS against left-handed pitching; their outfield corners struggled against lefties last season.”
Hopefully, the Padres can find a way to bring him back rather than letting him go. If Profar lands a $39 million deal, that would be affordable for San Diego.
