Toronto Blue Jays closing in on former San Diego Padres outfielder
Photo credit: MLB.com
As the dust settles from the Anthony Santander signing, The Toronto Blue Jays have their eyes on former San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar as the organization attempts to bolster their lineup even further.
the Blue Jays have expressed interest in free agents Pete Alonso and Jurickson Profar.
The Padres who would love to re-sign the 31-year-old, has attracted interest from the Blue Jays and the Houston Astros as it's clear the Padres are still in recent ownership issues that have prevented them from spending higher in their payroll.
Profar had career year with Padres
His season last year was a career year as he held a .280 average along with a .380 on base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage. This would be an intangible that the Blue Jays could use as scoring was an issue for the team throughout the entire year.
Jurickson Profar hitting bombs into the Chop House is going to feed families
It's safe to say the Blue Jays would need to realign their outfield as they would need to split time between George Springer and Santander between designated hitter and the right field. This idea would open the left field for the Jays to acquire Profar.
Profar, 32 next month, is fresh off a career year where he improved in just about every measurable category. His .280 average, .380 on-base percentage and .459 slugging percentage all ranked as career-best marks. - Steve Adams MLB Trade Rumors
Blue Jays payroll set to be a club record on Opening Day
The Blue Jays will also need to see where their payroll will end up as they would be currently at $237 million for their opening day payroll which is considered a club record.
If the Blue Jays sign Profar they would have 3 of the top 10 most clutch players in baseball from last season.
Payroll-wise, the Jays' signing of Santander pushed them up into the second tier of luxury penalization. They very narrowly dipped under the tax line in 2024, resetting their penalty level in the process, meaning they'd be on the hook for a 32% for any dollars allocated to Profar (or another free agent). They're currently projected by RosterResource at $237MM of Opening Day payroll, which would be a club record.
No matter the case, Rogers Communications has made it clear that they are willing to spend the money in order to make the team better and adding a player like Profar would certainly give them another bat that could help with their offence and give their outfield an improved look.
Spring training is just around the corner with the Blue Jays set to have their first game on February 22nd where they will take on the New York Yankees in Dunedin Florida. Game time will be at 1:07 PM eastern.
Source : MLB Trade Rumors
Blue Jays, Astros Among Teams Interested In Jurickson Profar
Blue Jays, Astros Among Teams Interested In Jurickson Profar
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