And on Thursday, Anthopoulos finally struck for the Braves’ first guaranteed major league signing this winter.
The Braves signed free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million contract. Profar will earn $12 million in 2025, then $15 million in each of the following two seasons.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated right-hander Connor Gillespie for assignment.
Profar, an outfielder who played for San Diego in 2024, will help the Braves fill the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr., then could be their starting left fielder once Acuña returns.
Profar, once a top prospect, has failed to live up to those expectations. But he was an All-Star last year as he hit .280 with an .839 OPS and 24 home runs. He had career highs in batting average, OPS, OBP (.380) home runs and RBIs (85).
Profar, who turns 32 in February, has primarily played the outfield spots in recent years. But earlier in his career, he saw considerable time at second base.
It seems likely that Profar and Jarred Kelenic will handle the corners while Acuña finishes recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery. Bryan de la Cruz could complain with Kelénique. When Acuña returned, Profar could slide to the other side of the field as Atlanta’s primary left fielder.
The movement gives the braves more depth. Kelénique has tools and talents, but has yet to prove himself as an everyday player. Profar is a versatile veteran who seems to make things happen when he is in the lineup.
The Braves now have one of the best outfields in baseball. It will have a former MVP (Acuña), an All-Star (Profar) and one of the best young players in the game (Harris). But if the Braves had signed Profar this time last year, the move wouldn’t have registered the way it did on Thursday.
Last February, Profar signed a one-year, $1 million deal — yes, $1 million (although it included incentives) — with San Diego. He parlayed it into this contract with a career year in which he improved significantly at the plate.
He hit the ball a lot harder. He struck out less and walked more than he did in 2023. He also threw more balls.
Is this sustainable or was it an outlier?
Well, that’s the main question, and that’s why baseball is so intriguing. The Braves can’t be sure of anything, but Anthopoulos is careful about the risks he takes, so you can bet the organization feels Profar found something meaningful last year.
With Profar’s signing, Atlanta’s cash payday is approximately $212 million, according to RosterResource. His luxury tax figure is around $230 million, meaning the Braves still have room to spend before hitting the $241 million luxury tax threshold.
At the start of the offseason, Anthopoulos said the Braves’ payroll would increase. Anthopoulos considers this opening day to opening day. The Braves were about $223 million in cash to start last season, suggesting they still have money to spend.
There are larger tax penalties for crossing the luxury threshold for a third straight season, as the Braves would if they exceeded it this year. But in December, Anthopoulos said that wouldn’t be a problem. He said he was baking the luxury tax into his budget for any given winter.
The Braves still need pitching. They could use a starter, although Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes would be internal options. A reliever could be a larger priority as the club will be without Joe Jiménez for much of the season (knee surgery) and lost AJ Minter to the Mets in free agency.
Profar will face his former teammates quite soon. On March 27, the Braves open the season at Petco Park in San Diego against the Padres, who Profar helped lead to the postseason last year.
This time, Profar will go to the clubhouse for a visit.
