Braves in early stages of discussing Jurickson Profar’s future with team
LAS VEGAS — The Braves have not made a decision on Jurickson Profar’s future with the team, but the decision is looming.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday that he, manager Walt Weiss and the rest of his front office staff have “started talking about it a little bit.”
“Right now, he’s under contract. We haven’t made any ultimate choices and decisions and things like that,” Anthopoulos added.
Profar has been suspended not once but twice in the past two seasons for testing positive for a banned substance. The first infraction came in 2025 and forced Profar to miss 80 games via MLB suspension.
The second happened in March during spring training and, by MLB rule, nixed Profar’s entire ‘26 season. It left the Braves short a starting outfielder and what was expected to be a competitive bat in the lineup.
Profar was playing for Curacao in the World Baseball Classic at the time of his suspension. He has made no public comment since his banishment.
Currently, Profar is playing for the Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He’s hitting .315 with a homer and 14 RBIs over 14 games.
Profar is owed $15 million for the 2027 season, the final season of the three-year contract he signed with the Braves in January 2025. That came on the heels of a 2024 season with the Padres in which he made his first All-Star team and slashed .280/.380/.459.
He has played in just 80 games for the Braves since and may never play in another if Braves’ brass opts to cut ties with Profar. They would still owe him the remaining money on his deal if that’s the route the organization decides to go.
“As we get closer to camp and things like that, we’ll see, and we’ll see where the offseason takes us as well,” Anthopoulos said. “There’s no absolutes. No decisions have been made. We’re going to do what’s best for the club, and it’s the beginning of the offseason, so it’s premature right now because I don’t know what our club’s going to look like.
“As I get a week into the offseason, two weeks, three weeks, a month, things can change, right? But in terms of absolute decisions being made, playing, not playing, none of that stuff. If anyone wants to speculate, none of that stuff’s been decided.”
If the Braves decide not to bring back Profar, left-hander Mike Yastrzemski, entering the second year of a two-year contract, would be the team’s primary left fielder — although Yastrzemski’s offensive strength is batting against right-handed pitching.
Right-handed hitting Lane Thomas, acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline, is a free agent, as is Mauricio Dubón, who played in left field in 85 games in 2026.