What are Braves’ options after Jurickson Profar suspension?

Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has received a 162-game suspension after testing positive for exogenous testosterone.

It’s the second consecutive year he’s been suspended for PEDs after he missed 80 games last season following a positive test for human chorionic gonadotropin.

The Braves signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal last winter. It’s the franchise’s worst substantial signing under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, and there’s still another year and $15 million remaining. The Braves were counting on Profar, whose future with the club is fairly in question, despite his contract.

The MLB Players Association will challenge the suspension, which is probably why Braves employees refrained from speaking their minds Wednesday morning in camp. But the appeal is unlikely to succeed. And the relationship between Profar and the organization has undoubtedly eroded.

Profar will lose his $15 million salary this season, in the likely event his suspension stands. The Braves, then, will save his salary plus a few extra million (that they were charged as a luxury-tax team). So the Braves save around $18 million with Profar’s suspension.

It does, however, weaken the roster. Profar had two strong months in the second half a year ago, and the team was hoping for a resurgence with the 2025 drama perceived as behind him. Profar theoretically provided a table-setter type the lineup needed. He was going to start the year handling the role as designated hitter and split time with Mike Yastrzemski in the outfield throughout the season.

Here are the team’s options as we assess the suspension’s fallout:

Stand pat

The most likely path is also the most boring. The Braves can pair the newcomer Yastrzemski with Eli White. Yastrzemski had an .809 OPS against righties last season (454 plate appearances); White had a .736 mark against lefties (96 plate appearances). The Braves have always appreciated White for his versatility and athleticism. He notably homered twice in the MLB Speedway Classic a year ago.

Utility man Kyle Farmer, competing to make the roster, had a .767 OPS in 123 plate appearances against southpaws a year ago. Shortstop Mauricio Dubon, who’d shift into a utility role when Ha-Seong Kim returns potentially in early May, had a .748 mark in 115 such plate appearances last year. Dubon could play some in left field when Kim returns.

There could be other players who help fill the void. Manager Walt Weiss, when discussing the team’s bench options, brought up nonroster invitee Dominic Smith a couple of weeks ago. Smith, a first baseman and DH, had a .750 OPS in 63 games for San Francisco in 2025. Whether it’s Smith or another candidate who emerges (or is acquired), there are other means of adding offense without a significant investment.

So Profar’s loss is damaging, but it’s not destroying the lineup. The Braves can replace him internally by playing matchups. The Yastrzemski acquisition, certainly, looks wise now.

Sign a free agent

The Braves have more cash, but it’s not like there are suddenly more options. Andrew McCutchen, 39, is already a popular name among fans. He had a .743 OPS in 150 plate appearances against lefties last season. McCutchen is a beloved teammate and well-respected name across the sport. But it’s also easy to see why the Braves wouldn’t be rushing to sign him at this juncture. He’s strictly a designated hitter at this point, too, and the Braves’ internal options provide more optionality.

There simply aren’t any appealing free-agent outfielders right now that’d drastically alter the team’s outlook.

Make a trade

The Braves are always listening when it comes to trades. Perhaps a team with an outfield jam — like the Rays — is willing to move off one of its players before opening day. It might not be anything headline-grabbing, but it’s possible the team makes an addition from another club.

Is there a splashy move out there? The Astros are reportedly willing to move Isaac Paredes, who’d provide some pop at DH and could play first and third base when needed. Paredes makes $9.35 million and has a $13.35 million club option for next season. Houston isn’t going to give him away, though, and he isn’t a perfect fit here, especially because the Braves have wanted to maintain flexibility with the DH spot (and Matt Olson and Austin Riley will handle the corner infield spots as long as they’re healthy).

All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton appears set to start the season with Minnesota, though that could be a conversation for later this summer. Buxton, a Baxley native, has a no-trade clause. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s at the center of trade rumors at the deadline. But he’s likely not an option right now.

Other trade targets depend on how the Braves want to construct their lineup. Remember, they won’t start the season in full form. They have Kim returning possibly around six weeks after opening day and catcher Sean Murphy potentially also coming back in May. The Braves greatly value having Murphy and Drake Baldwin as their catching duo, and the open DH spot helps keep both in the lineup as the team desires.

So what becomes of the savings?

If the Braves don’t add another bat, would they reinvest their savings into pitching? The team hasn’t shared the same urgency as fans when it comes to the rotation. They didn’t pursue Chris Bassitt, for instance, before he signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with the Orioles earlier this spring. They haven’t been interested in Lucas Giolito or Zack Littell, the two most prominent free-agent starters remaining.

It remains to be seen if the saved money factors into that equation. The Braves have previously said their approach wasn’t shaped by finances. Regardless, they’re one more injured starter from rotation desperation. Bryce Elder and Joey Wentz are their top back-end-of-the-rotation options, and both are out of options (which has factored into the team’s calculus).

Maybe this positions the Braves to be uber-aggressive in July, when they could presumably absorb more salary than before. Perhaps Profar’s absence makes a Buxton-like addition more realistic.

But the Braves were hurt by Profar’s selfishness yet again in the short term. In the long term, it might open more opportunities. Time will tell.

What about 2027?

The collective bargaining agreement expires in December, and the seeming inevitability of a lockout muddies this picture. Will there be a full 162-game season next year? Could the campaign be similar to 2020, when they played just 60 games?