The San Diego Padres desperately needed to find a veteran outfielder, and on Feb. 12, they added Jurickson Profar as the third outfielder to their 40-man roster.
Profar played for the Padres from 2020-22 and returned for the last month of 2023 after he was released from the Colorado Rockies.
He never wanted to leave San Diego and is locked in with a one-year deal worth $1 million but can earn up to $1.5 million in incentives.
Manager Mike Shildt says there is a place for the 10-year veteran, who has played every infield position and some outfield.
“The good news about ‘Pro’ is he can clearly start,” Shildt said. “Relative to where (the roster is) now, there’s at-bats for him to have. This is an opportunity for him to start, be matchup-based being a switch hitter and balancing the rest of the club. But … he’ll move around a little bit. He’s versatile.”
The Padres have ten outfielders at camp, but only six have any major league experience. Besides Profar, there is Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Azóca. The other three outfielders have less than 40 games of big-league experience together.
Profar followed a down year by playing 21 games in the Dominican winter league, during which he played primarily first base and left field, the positions he is most likely to occupy in San Diego. Profar currently stands to get a lot of playing time, but the Padres are expected to add more bats in the coming weeks.
Profar is a career .238/.322/.705 hitter and brings versatility to a roster that desperately needs outfield help.
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