The San Diego Padres were the closest team to taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 postseason as Los Angeles dominated its way to a World Series title.
But close isn't good enough for the Padres. Not when they have superstars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, and Dylan Cease on the roster and the payroll.
One player that experienced quite the breakout season in 2024 was outfielder Jurickson Profar. Profar posted a .689 OPS and a negative WAR in 2023, but registered a .839 OPS and a 3.4 WAR in 2024. Profar is now a free agent and one of San Diego's most important targets.
FanSided's Nick Villano recently looked into Profar's upcoming free agency. Villano projects Profar to re-sign with the Padres while Spotrac projects Profar to sign a two-year, $25 million deal.
"Profar has been through the ringer, with some of it his own fault. He finally found a place he can call home, and he's already signed there after leaving once," Villano wrote. "The Padres want him back, and Profar is just looking for a commitment. We can see the Padres making that move, especially since they likely get a hometown discount of some kind."
Profar back to the Padres just makes way too much sense to not come to fruition.
San Diego needs to find additional talent and it needs to do it in a big way without breaking the bank. Profar returning as a 3.0-plus WAR player would be just what the team needs.
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