Normally, contracts get evaluated later than two months into the season. However, the Atlanta Braves inked a deal that's already being declared a flop.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller named Jurickson Profar's deal with the Braves among his recent contracts that are already a bust. His reasoning: going 3-for-15 before an 80-game suspension.
Being suspended right after signing the deal already puts this deal in a tough spot. The Braves are gonna be stuck paying for him - outside of the time he's suspended without pay - for the next two and half seasons. He isn't even elligible to play in the postseason this year.
Beyond that Miller holds him accountable for troubles in the outfield. He can't help improve the position if he got himself in trouble and can't play.
"While he has done very little this season to be analyzed, it's certainly at least partially his fault that Atlanta's outfield has been a disaster," Miller wrote. "Left field has been abysmal in particular with Verdugo, Bryan De La Cruz and Eli White primarily responsible for a .572 OPS with just one home run in Profar's stead."
Profar received his 80-game suspension after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs toward the end of the opening road trip. He didn't even make it to the home opener.
According to the Associated Press, Major League Baseball announced Monday that Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in violation of the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hCG is a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone. He will lose $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary.
Miller also pointed out an obvious elephant in the room: We have no clue how well Profar will play once he gets back. Since it's not the leg kick that fixed him, there is going to be serious doubt until proven otherwise.
He pointed to stars like Robinson Canó, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ryan Braun as players who were never the same or took time to get going again. Profar, as Miller added and we all thought immediatley, has never been at any of those player's levels.
It's not looking good for this deal to be worth the price tag.
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