Despite Profar deciding to test the market on himself and turning down his player option, I think a reunion could be truly in the works, as it should be. With a thin outfield that lacks depth, bringing back Profar is ideal; depending on the price, of course.
Photo by Denis Poroy / Getty Images.
Jurickson Profar could have kept it very simple and stayed with San Diego after reports came that his desire is to have him and his family stay in the city. However, Profar is coming off a year that he was relied on majority of the season. With that being said, Profar turned down his $8.33 million option to see if he and his agent Scott Boras can take a multi-year deal worth more.
Profar is coming off a season where he has posted a career high 73 walks, smacking 140 hits and an OPS of .723. In addition, Profar has made a difference in the lineup with Fernando Tatis Jr. not being present all of 2022 with off the field issues and eventually the 80-game PED suspension. With Tatis Jr. being the ideal lead-off hitter in the Padres lineup, Profar took that role and gave manager Bob Melvin no hesitation to have him in that spot for a good portion of the season.
Profar in the lead-off spot recorded 362 at-bats (405 plate appearances) and really made pitchers sweat with his key patience at the plate no matter from which side of the batters box he stands in. Batting first for the majority of his at-bats, Profar recorded 95 hits including 25 doubles and 50% of his walks (36). An overall look on Profar's slashline leading off is also quite impressive: .262/.333/.412.
Continuing on Profar's discipline at the plate, Profar put up a 10.1 BB% with a 15.7 K%. The MLB average stands at 8.4 BB% and 22.1 K%. To continue, Profar in 2022 ranked 8th best in the MLB in Pitches Per Plate Appearance. Whether these were taken for strikes or just staying alive with foul balls, Profar posted an average 4.23. Trent Grisham ranked 7th at the same number for a fun fact! Juan Soto was 11th at 4.18. Sorry, I will stop, but you get the idea!
Now would Profar be the lead-off hitter he was in 2022? Not ideally but I would not put it out of the picture in case Fernando Tatis Jr. gets hurt or needs a break from that role, but having Profar back who succeeded off much reliability would be clutch. It all depends on the AAV and the years as well. Profar will most likely improve his somewhat underwhelming slugging numbers due to a banned shift this upcoming season; especially when he was a left-handed hitter. 63.8% shift as a left-handed batter compared to a 3.1% shift as a right-handed batter.
If you bring back Profar, you will not have to sacrifice other talent via trade. Yes, the Padres would go over the tax threshold, but Profar would have to show them he was worth that risk. With Profar's presence, he brings much favoritism to the clubhouse and the city, while also bringing a utility role in addition to being versatile on the field and in the lineup order.
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