The Atlanta Braves front office deserves a lot of credit for how it has maintained a high level of contention while letting franchise players walk away. This doesn't mean it was always the perfect decision, as we've seen with Max Fried and Freddie Freeman. However, Atlanta's savvy front office often appears to be a step ahead of the roster. Historically, this is the case, though the 2025 story has been entirely different. The headline for this has been suspended Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar. Only four games into the season, Profar was suspended for violating the league's banned substance list.
Atlanta's biggest 2025 addition now will miss a large chunk of the season and expose what a mistake the signing was. It doesn't help matters that the offseason was incredibly quiet, with the team only picking up reclamation projects and Profar as noteworthy additions. Add in letting Fried walk away, and the 2025 offseason isn't going down as one of the team's better examples of wise decision-making.
Braves Made an Obvious Mistake Signing the Suspended Jurickson Profar
It isn't as if the road is going to get any easier with Profar expected to return at the end of June. The player is far from a popular figure in Atlanta and likely is going to earn a side eye or two in the Braves' clubhouse. The selfish decision cost the team valuable wins and a player expected to be a vital contributor, but the roster had time to become fully healthy.
Profar is not able to play any postseason games either due to the suspension. Because of this, you're going to have to make a tough decision to put a player on the bench who could be a postseason starting option. The alternative is to platoon Profar despite the expectation that the outfielder is going to give you a better chance to win games.
However, if Profar cannot be there when the games matter most, there is an argument that it is more beneficial to give consistent at-bats to the hottest second option. Regardless, it is a problem that doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon with Profar in the first year of a three-year $42 million contract he signed with Atlanta this past offseason.
It has quickly gone down as one of Atlanta's worst deals, turning back the clock to Dan Uggla or B.J. Upton when coming up with a worse signing in recent team history. Jurickson Profar has a lot of work to do to get Atlanta fans back on his side, with the path being incredibly simple. The veteran has no margin for error upon his 2025 return but must find a way to instantly help the team win games if given a slot back in the starting lineup.