The San Diego Padres have lost important players during the offseason.
It’s part of their cost-cutting plan: they wanted to lower their payroll and have achieved it for the most part.
They traded All-Star and MVP candidate Juan Soto and Trent Grisham and lost Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Josh Hader, Gary Sanchez, and Nick Martinez to free agency.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t added to their roster, though.
They have signed Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Woo-Suk Go, plus trade additions Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vazquez, Drew Thorpe, Kyle Higashioka, and Enyel De Los Santos.
On Monday, they added another player to their 2024 roster; a jack-of-all-trades that has been with the organization for most of the last four years.
“Padres, INF/OF Jurickson Profar reportedly agree to deal, per MLB.com’s @AJCassavell,” MLB tweeted.
Padres, INF/OF Jurickson Profar reportedly agree to deal, per https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39‘s @AJCassavell. pic.twitter.com/mH1jJ2a0kB
— MLB (@MLB) February 12, 2024
Profar, once a top prospect in baseball, has failed to live up to huge expectations from when he was young.
However, his versatility and sneaky power have helped him carve out a career for himself.
Last year, between the Padres and the Colorado Rockies, he hit .242/.321/.368 with nine home runs in 125 games.
Profar can play several positions in the infield and the outfield, and knows how to take a walk.
His contact rates, however, aren’t always high, and as a result, he has a career .706 OPS.
Still, he is a useful utility player for any roster, and his hot streaks can be legendary.
The Padres hope he can return at least average offensive production, in which case he will be of good use.
NEXT:
Insider Reveals Special Detail Of Wandy Peralta’s Deal
