Jurickson Profar may have priced himself out of San Diego, but his contract demands will likely keep him off the Cincinnati Reds’ radar as well. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN (subscription required), Profar is seeking a three-year deal in free agency. That’s a mighty steep price to pay for an inconsistent player like Profar, and the Reds will likely be looking elsewhere to fill the void in the outfield.
Profar had a career-year in 2024. The San Diego Padres inked Profar to a meager $1 million contract just before the season began, only to watch the left fielder turn in an All-Stat campaign. Profar was the emotional leader for the Friars last season and came up clutch early and often.
Still only 31 years old, Profar hit .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, and a 134 OPS+. That stat line would look pretty good in the middle of the Reds’ lineup. That said, for his career, Profar owns a .245/.331/.395 slash line with a 98 OPS+. Those erratic numbers, combined with his desire for a three-year deal, shouldn’t be attractive to Nick Krall and Reds’ front office.
But as the outfield market continues to shrink, the Reds’ options are becoming few and far between. Max Kepler, a player who would’ve fit quite well in Cincinnati’s outfield, signed a one-year pact with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday evening. Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Tyler O’Neill signed with the Baltimore Orioles this winter, and names like Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander are likely outside the Reds’ price range.
Profar is a switch-hitter whose splits don’t shift at all whether batting from the left or right side of the plate. He’d love to return to the Padres in 2025, but San Diego’s leadership has signaled a need to reduce spending this offseason. The Friars are already shopping players like Luis Arráez, Xander Bogaerts, and Dylan Cease — a sign that they’re unlikely to re-sign Profar this winter.
Given the going-rate on the free agent market, it’s looking more and more like the Reds will have to swing a trade in order to upgrade the outfield this offseason. The Arizona Diamondbacks are shopping Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, and Cleveland Guardians’ outfielder Lane Thomas is available in trade talks as well. If the Reds remain tight-fisted when it comes to free agent spending, they’re going to have to resort to selling off assets in order to improve the team heading into 2025.
