Major League Baseball announced that Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. The ban goes into effect on Friday and will cost him the entire 2026 season, including the playoffs. It’s the second career PED suspension for Profar, who missed 80 games last year after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotropin.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Players Association plans to file a grievance challenging this suspension. MLB generally does not announce violations of the drug policy until after the appeal process plays out, as the player is usually allowed to continue playing pending that appeal. Rosenthal writes that Profar’s suspension, by contrast, is not stayed because it’s his second career PED ban. However, the process will be expedited to quickly reach a final resolution.
It’s rare for a player’s PED suspension to be overturned on appeal. Assuming the suspension stands, Profar will not be paid his $15MM salary this season. The Curacao native is also barred from representing the Netherlands in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Jurickson tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Braves said in a press release. “Our players are consistently educated about the Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation.”
Profar, who turned 33 a couple weeks ago, was entering the second season of a three-year, $42MM contract. Last year’s suspension cost him just under $6MM of his $12MM salary in year one of that free agent deal. He’s signed through the 2027 season and is owed a $15MM salary again in the contract’s final year. If he incurs a third positive test in his career, he would receive a lifetime ban.
As a teenager, Profar was ranked as the top prospect in the entire sport. A switch-hitting shortstop with a tantalizing blend of power, speed and defensive aptitude, he was hailed as a future star but saw his career derailed by multiple shoulder injuries. He missed nearly the entire 2014 and 2015 campaigns due to shoulder surgery.
The version of Profar that returned looked far different. He hit .227/.316/.315 in 377 MLB plate appearances from 2016-17 before turning in a solid offensive season in 2018. His defense at shortstop had become untenable following the shoulder troubles. Profar spent time at second base and first base before being traded to the A’s, who had him for only one disappointing year before trading him to the Padres.
Profar had an up-and-down run in San Diego. He had an awful start in the shortened 2020 season before a torrid three-week finish to the 60-game season salvaged his batting line. A clear favorite of Padres GM A.J. Preller — who signed him as an international amateur during his days as a Rangers assistant GM — Profar inked a three-year deal following that season but flopped with a .227/.329/.320 slash in year one of the contract. He chose to forgo an opt-out opportunity, returned to San Diego for the 2022 season, turned in a better offensive performance opted out of a net $6.5MM to again test the open market.
Free agency was cold to Profar that winter. He wound up signing with the Rockies just prior to Opening Day 2023 on a $7.75MM deal. Colorado released Profar after he hit just .236/.316/.364 in 111 games. He re-signed in San Diego for the remainder of the season and hit well in 14 games late that year. Profar spent the entire offseason twisting in the winds of free agency before the Padres brought him aboard on a one-year, $1MM deal that looked like the steal of the offseason when he erupted with a .280/.380/.459 batting line in a career-best showing.
That performance prompted the Braves’ three-year, $42MM deal, but it will now forever be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Profar missed 80 games last year, hit .248/.358/.446 in 355 plate appearances upon returning, and now won’t take another plate appearance until at least 2027. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Braves will welcome him back or look to move on entirely.
That question doesn’t need to be answered for the time being. Profar can and will be placed on the restricted list, where he won’t be paid or count against Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves will not only save on Profar’s $15MM salary — they’ll also dodge the 20% tax they’d been paying for him as a team that was over the luxury threshold. It amounts to an overall $18MM in savings for Atlanta, which gives the Braves some intriguing possibilities late in the offseason.
Atlanta has incurred a pair of notable injuries in the rotation. Righties Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies/bone spurs. It’s not yet clear when they’ll return, but Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day IL and Waldrep will surely follow.
That’s left the Braves with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez (who made just one start last year due to shoulder surgery) and Grant Holmes (who had a UCL tear last summer and rehabbed without surgery) in the top four spots of the rotation. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, Didier Fuentes and Jose Suarez are the fifth starter options on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitees include veterans Martin Perez, Carlos Carrasco and Elieser Hernandez, as well as top prospect JR Ritchie.
Notable veterans like Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Tyler Anderson remain unsigned in free agency. Atlanta’s outfield group, of course, takes a hit following the Profar suspension, although the team’s November signing of Mike Yastrzemski means the Braves won’t necessarily need to add another outfielder. Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. can start on most days, though Acuña has had his share of recent injury troubles and Yastrzemski has long-running platoon issues. Righty hitters Eli White and Jorge Mateo are already on the roster as potential complements, but neither has even average career numbers against left-handed pitching.
Atlanta still projects to be just north of the $244MM luxury threshold, but the front office suddenly has an influx of cash that could be used to acquire additional help, be it another starting pitcher or a veteran right-handed bat to plug into the lineup. Time will tell whether those funds are put to immediate use or saved for in-season additions to the roster, but the Braves immediately become a team to watch with regard to a potential late-offseason addition.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported Profar was facing a 162-game PED ban. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images.
Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?
What’s this red dot????
Im unemployed and live with my parents.
Lunch – When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American Tampa Bay Rays pitcher came to my town. He was the most kind and handsome baseball player. I said “Such a magnificent pitcher, what do you call yourself?”
He said “They call me Kazmir”.
I repeated the word. “Kazmir, KAZMIR.” And I asked him if he could throw a 94 MPH split fingered fastball to me.
But he said “No. Get away from me.” And he started to walk away, but I grabbed onto his leg screaming for him to throw me one pitch, any pitch, as he dragged me through the streets.
Then he kicked me with the other foot and he threw some change at me. Oh, but I didn’t want the change. I wanted the Kazmir!
^ early post of the year candidate.
youtube.com/watch?v=wtSGMzCiFI4
I say we shut down the voting. Nothing will beat this.
This is peak creativity. It’s great.
“I’ve got to plead ignorance on this thing because if someone had told me that this was frowned upon….”
Yes, ignorance is the correct plea in this case
It’s hard to stop. Once you’re in the batters box moving back and forth, back and forth, hips swivelling…
A pinkish hue?
I’m sorry officer, I didn’t know I couldn’t do that
Now there’s a call back
“Well now you know! Just… get out of here!”
His Mensa invitation was just cancelled.
You’ve been living a lie? I’ve been living like twenty.
The Braves we’re angry that day, my friends.
This will NOT be the Summer Of Jurickson.
At my old office, we did that all the time.
“I’m innocent”…Just remember, it’s not a lie, if you believe it.
But where does the meat go?
Where’s the beef?
There goes his chance at the Hall of Fame.
I don’t know. His batting average is a solid .200! Right in that meaty part of the curve – not showing off, not falling behind.
Fax me some halibut
It’s not a lie if you believe it.
I don’t even really work here.
That’s a lotta potatoes!
This is one of my favorite threads of all time.
I’ve never felt more boomer than I do right now. And get off my lawn!
Maybe we can live without PEDs, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we’re too old to change the world, but what about that kid Profar, sitting down, opening a book, right now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers? Doesn’t HE deserve better?
You did it to yourself, and that’s why it really hurts!
Ouch, sorry Braves fans
I think Braves fans are probably happy about this actually
The fact that they can’t void his 2027 contract is ridiculous. Two suspensions on one contract?
I was wondering about that, darn!
Crappy part is this scumbag already has 10 years of MLB service time, so he will get an MLB pension.
lol relax , big guy
Calm down buddy. It’s not coming out of your salary or taxes or anything. Why does a former player’s pension upset you so much when you have absolutely nothing to do with it?
Does anyone outside of San Diego actually like this guy? Such a massive tool.
You’ve never met him.
Not a profar fan.
Using performance enhancers does not make one a scumbag.
No it doesn’t make him a scumbag but it’s pretty clear he’s not a good ball player without PED’s…a fact he obviously accepts himself. Pre-2024 wRC+ for his career was 92.
Hank – Yes it does. Play clean like everyone else. If you need “help”, you don’t belong there. Plus you’re keeping a “real” player off the roster.
Let: not that you’ll respond to this but aren’t you the same guy that was defending Jarren Duran when he let a homophobic slur fly? your judgment on scum bag moves doesn’t inspire much confidence if that’s the case.
What’s your guys obsession with players and their pensions?
Sorry not sorry.
I like big needles and I cannot lie
Just stick it above my thigh
When a syringe comes in with an itty bitty thang
And helps improve my swang
I hit bombs! Then I’m running in the outfield, but I’m knowing they doubt me…
Wow. That is all.
Ooof. Well now they have money to spend on other holes. Like OF/DH.
Harris and Acuna are locks. Looks like they want a platoon in LF with Yaz getting majority of the time. Though, guys can slide into the DH spot too for partial day off. Adding another OF def wouldn’t hurt.
Maybe, depending on who you got. Dubon can get some OF reps when HSK returns, but also, Ben Gamel has looked good in ST.
Tommy Pham is still unsigned.
I feel like Ben Gamel’s entire career can be summed up as “has looked good in ST”
@Verlander —
“He aced the interview, but was then terrible once he got on the job.” Ben’s one of us.
Dubon can play all the positions. No need for him to get reps in the outfield.
Dubon should play LF vs lefties when Kim gets back. Better lifetime OPS vs lefties than Profar.
Well, I wish we got more than Nick Allen for him. I’d rather get a prospect or two, just mid like 15-25 range.
Is Dubon worth that? He has 1 year of control at a 6M price tag and is an above-average utility player. Allen has a few years of control at just above league min. They may have gotten a prospect back if they included some money with Dubon. Allen is a poor man’s Dubon…and was sold as that.
Nobody could sell Nick Allen as a poor man’s anything!
One of the worst hitters in MLB and no possibility he’ll ever improve with the stick. Unless you’re DHing for the shortstop, Allen shouldn’t be anything more than a late-inning defensive replacement.
To be fair I don’t think Nick Allen is guaranteed a roster spot. Riley Unroe is playing well. I believe he was your former farmhand.
We need a 12th in our Fantasy Football League.
He’s no Dick Allen
Terrible hitter, on the rare occasions that he got on base, he’d commemorate it by getting thrown out trying to steal a base.
And SP.
Apparently he took the stuff on his desk with the cleaning lady.
Spending money on holes never works out well in the long run.
Well, $15M to use towards a pitcher if you want
I’ll bet the Braves wish they had known this last month when there were more guys available.
Giolito is out there
What a dope. Pun intended….
LMAO
The Mike Yastrzemski signing makes this much easier to deal with. Good riddance to Profar.
Why, is Mike going to be enhanced too?
Yaz is as clean as they get
@mlb We hope.
Atlanta will like Yaz, he is a solid team player, just not hitting against LHP.
I’m a Braves fan and my wife is a Giants fan. We probably watch 100+ games of each per year and I gotta say Yaz is going to be well liked by Atlanta fans. He’s a good ballplayer and seems like a good dude too from everything I’ve ever seen of him.
Giants fan here. Yaz was a great teammate the entire time he was there. About the best that can be as a team player too. Great off the field also. Atlanta will love him. And he’ll sell out on defense. Great guy.
Don’t expect more than a below average platoon bat out of Yaz. Not a full-time player and overall not a great hitter. The Braves overpaid for him.
Yaz is a 120 wRC+ career producer vs right handed pitching and will be a perfect match for the Chop House in right field at Truist Park. Should never play vs lefties but will mash otherwise. Big improvement over PED boy defensively as well.
Ay no, papi.. again?
You gotta be dumb to do it a second time.
$15 million mistake.
He still has one more to go to match Jenrry Mejia
Sing for Mejia.
Dream on
Doesn’t mean much if you write a strongly worded letter of apology to Manfred. Everyone that has had a “lifetime ban” has been reinstated if they tried to come back, if I’m correct in my info.
Mejia was never allowed back.
Mejia was reinstated after requesting it. Manfred granted him a return, and he signed with the Red Sox, but he never reached the majors again.
You have to be dumb to do it a first time. Second time, you’re a complete moron.
When you’re locked into a guaranteed salary and not even in a free agent year—you have to be a moron. 2x a moron.
A guy might take a risk when he’s trying to get paid but Profar is an idiot.
Especially during spring training when his of spot us all but guaranteed
Exactly, someone desperate to get their first seven figure contract might justify being a cheater to provide for their family. Once you already have an eight figure contract, you are a fool to use something that will void your pay check, harm your body, and harm your integrity.
The devil made me do it the first time. The second time I did it on my own.
You gotta be dumb to be caught for it the first or the second time…
Giolito, welcome to Atlanta.
Or Zack Littell, come on down!
Not sure why this hasnt happened already – I need one more right in the contest.
I had Gio going back to RS so not much chance there now.
Giolito is not worth $15M.
I can’t wait to hear how Profar tries to deny this one. The fertility drug excuse has been played out so let’s see if he comes up with a new one. At least the Braves are off the hook for his salary.
Yeah, one time I can believe it was a mistake/drug taken at advice of one doctor without consulting the team. Still kind of foolish but believable, especially if you’re working with doctors in different countries potentially. But after the first time there’s no excuse for it. Even if it’s a second “innocent mistake” (which is of course harder to believe) you just can’t let that happen.
Idk. MLB has a list they regularly update with banned substances. Profar has millions of dollars. I dont understand why he wouldn’t take his substances, and that list, and pay a lab to tell him what’s in the stuff he wants to he taking.
I stopped buying into the accidental abuse stories years ago. I dont doubt guys made innocent mistakes, but after watching other guys get suspended for making these mistakes, how are guys not pretesting what they are putting in their bodies? Profar isn’t a minor leaguer or on an arb salary. Hes making real money.
It’s one thing when a guy in A+ ball without money doesn’t know what’s in his supplements. But a man who banked $15m last year and has been through the process before, that man is cheating or too dumb to continue.
MLB teams have people to handle all of this for the players as well. So it’s not like he’s given a list and has to figure it out. Anytime a player takes one of these banned substances, they’re knowingly taking something that hasn’t been approved (whether they know it’s on the list or not). Not that dumb players don’t make dumb choices at times, but the only rational reason to take an unapproved substance is because you’re trying to get an edge and don’t want your team to know what you’re taking.
It is possible for a substance to get in your system from a supplement you didnt think had the substance in it. Its been a long time since I lifted, so perhaps the quality control isn’t what I remember it being, but there were multiple instances in the early 2000’s where products sold at GNC had off label PED’s in them. The shady companies did this so you’d continue to buy their product because it was actually working.
But if you send the bottle out to a lab, they can tell you everything thats actually in it before you take it.
Great points, Saw, but you (probably) and I (definitely) don’t have 15 million incentives to be sure the stuff we take is 100% permissible. This is still on him and under his control as you implied in your last sentence.
Back in the 90s and 2000s (when I lifted) this was more common and why i stayed away from them (aside from vitamin supplements). Nowadays, it’s much less common due to the backlash over PEDs during that time (I’m not lifting now, so it’s possible this has eased over the past couple of years).
That said, they have people at the MLB team to check for them and approve each supplement. So it’s possible (but incredibly unlikely) that a supplement was approved by the team and later became tainted due to poor (possibly intentional as you mentioned) quality control – if that happened in this case (was not the case with his first positive test) then we’ll know shortly (or at least this will be his claim to fight the suspension).
Unlike you or I, no MLB player should be taking a supplement off the shelf and trying to figure out what’s in it – the work is already done for them. If they’re doing this on their own, it’s because they’re trying to avoid someone else knowing about it.
There are plenty of dumb players.
how are guys not pretesting what they are putting in their bodies?
===================
That’s what agents are for, and team doctors. Tell everyone what you’re taking, and at least you have some safe harbor to say that you didn’t know.
It’s possible that could happen but a repeat offender like Profar doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. The more likely scenario is that Profar knowingly took a substance he thought he could get away. MLB’s testing system probably gets more extensive every year to catch any potential new substances.
Rouge- can’t speak for all teams, but I know the Pad’s clubhouse (pretty sure all of em tho?!?!) has sealed bags of pre-approved (re: clean) “whatever” you want to take home or stash in your locker, etc. Any failed test nowadays and my default thought is the player has purposefully done it.
Please… you were an amateur and had no guidelines you had to follow. This guys are pros and have access to quality professionals who do all this for them and also use quality meds…. all this denial is bogus.
There are supplements made to pharmaceutical standards that are so clean that the company sponsors US Olympic teams. If I remember correctly this company provided supplements for 190 athletes and 8 national teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics. THAT is the kind of stuff that MLB makes available to players. If they get a tainted supplement, that is on them.
You expect dumb jocks like Profar to read the long list of banned substances with names that are more than two syllables long?
So he didn’t read “Epi-dihydrotestosterone” or “Desoxy-methyltestosterone”?
(I copied and pasted it)
Wowwwwwww
Jenrry Mejia levels of stupid. Don’t understand why guys do this, all he had to do was stay clean. Like he could still be bad but get paid but nope, now he loses 15 mill. Incredible.
Once upon a time Profar was considered to be the future, the next best thing. 13 years ago he was baseball’s top prospect. I have to imagine the temptation to prove you’re not a flop plays into it.
Or maybe it’s just greed and arrogance.
I understand the temptation given his rookie/1st rounder prowess, and obviously being in such a competitive field must heighten the temptation, but he already signed a major 3 year contract after a standout year (which now, I mean there’s no way he wasn’t juicing then).
He’s not a rookie anymore, you’re now talking about a 32 year old who just set his future up to the tune of 42 million dollars. The arrogance part I get, but I mean, this was most likely gonna be the last big contract he got.
Smart enough to make his 1st year only $12M, and years 2 & 3 $15M each. Just in case there was some residual in your system.
@Sabermetric Acolyte
Professional athletes have an uber competitive drive. See Lance Armstrong.
Saber,
Now he’s future face of PED testing
Good grief what an absolute idiot lol
Maybe, maybe not. He had a career 92 OPS+ going into 2024. He cheated, and now walks away with $30M for 2027-28. Otherwise, there is a good chance he’d be on a series of one-year contracts for $3-4M.
He’s only signed through next year (2027). He only got paid half his salary last year and losing all of it (most likely) this year.
I thought this had become a ‘facts-optional’ place. My bad on the contract.
He’s actually going to walk away with $21m for the three years, assuming he doesn’t get busted again next year.
Wow. Didn’t learn anything apparently. Failed the dumba$$ test at least twice.
He’s done in MLB.
Is Byron Buxton available?
UGH!!! I can’t believe this. So disappointed in Profar.
No, he’s not.
Jarren Duran?
Steven Kwan?
OK, now can they have the savings to go out and get Zack Littel/Giolito, no? Yaz would be getting most LF reps anyway. They can spread DH reps until Murph returns. Ben Gamel has looked good in ST.
Maybe they sign a couple of lower tier players to refill LF and the back end of the staff but I have a hard time believing they’re going to make any significant splashes in that Giolito/Littel tier. They’re right up against the tax and coming off of a very disappointing 2025. I think they’re hoping for better health luck and some bounceback to maaaayyybe squeeze in a wild card appearance and make one last run, but the writing has got to be on the wall.
Well Atlanta’s suddenly got $15 million to play with
Living large, what a hoot, I’ll start playing on this contract next year fellas. Easy money.
He just really loves juice. Apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, big muscle juice, peach juice.
Maybe his hats are all too big and he wants his head to grow into them
I bet this means Zack Littell can finally get signed
I guess he didn’t learn the first time.
There’s a funny skit in here which has the Atlanta FO employing an Ace Ventura-like fella to follow Pro and try to spike him on purpose to get to this fail! Easy out of $18M
No playing on the Netherlands WBC team either. Doh!
Ooof, man that’s horrible for the Braves. Sorry fans. Yikes, what a moron.
Wow – all benefits of the doubt seem to be out the window now. Bad choices and no excuses.
So
I have to think that either
1) lots of people are doing PED’s and passing but Profar’s “system”, or whatever, isn’t up to standard
2) he’s getting busted for something that isn’t actually a PED
If it actually wasn’t a PED, he would have fought it and so would the MLBPA. It had to be either a PED, or that he didn’t report a need ahead of time. Chances are he didn’t report it twice. That leads to #1 … he or his handler is bad at cheating.
UGA
“If it actually wasn’t a PED, he would have fought it and so would the MLBPA.”
“The Players Association plans to challenge Profar’s suspension, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.”
Ok. Let me re-explain and detail it out. I do feel that most would understand what I meant, but I did leave out the basics.
MLBPA challenging is automatic. I felt like that should not have to be explained as we know it happens on EVERY PED case, or pretty much everything.
When I said they would have ‘fought’ it, it would have been a much bigger fight and made news. They basically looked the other way. Token challenge and then nothing. When the PA rolls over on something that quickly and quietly, they are pretty much admitting right away that the player was wrong. They seriously challenge every single thing they can. It’s one reason why I don’t side with players as much as I used to in the past. Just a petty and victim-mentality culture established by the MLBPA over the last couple of decades.
UG
“When I said they would have ‘fought’ it, it would have been a much bigger fight and made news. They basically looked the other way. Token challenge and then nothing.”
What’s your evidence for this?
“victim-mentality culture ”
Ahh. Things are becoming clearer
Evidence – taken straight from another ban on ESPN this week
1) Under MLB’s drug agreement with the players’ association, the appeals process for an initial positive test for a performance-enhancing substance takes place before a public announcement of discipline.
– This means the BASIC appeal you are talking about has already happened. It happened before the length was announced.
2) Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is contesting a possible 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball following an alleged failed test for a performance-enhancing substance, according to multiple reports.
– This is the follow up. After the initial appeal is denied, a player, and jointly the MLBPA in every recent case, will contest a ban if they feel it is not warranted for some reason.
Number one had already happened in the case of Profar. Number two does not appear to be happening, hence there will not be the ‘bigger fight’ as I termed it. I do not know how long they have to contest, but it sounds from everything I have read that no such contest will be forthcoming. Simple as that.
Evidence granted.
UGA
From, literally, the article you are commenting on
“Rosenthal writes that Profar’s suspension, by contrast, is not stayed because it’s his second career PED ban.”
or
3) he made a stupid decision…again.
The first time he was busted for a woman’s fertility drug (same as Manny Ramirez). They take those in-between steroid cycles because their body has stopped producing natural testosterone (as it was overloaded by the steroids) and these drugs will trigger the body to begin making testosterone again.
#1 is likely the correct answer. Profar was clearly taking PEDs in 2024 with the Padres (set career exit velocity numbers by 3.6 mphat the age of 31 while maintaining all other numbers the same), which lead to a massive contract.
When Profar was caught his answer wasn’t to stop taking PEDs, because the penalty was so tiny and he hadn’t been caught previously. Only now should he start taking it seriously as he’s facing a lifetime ban and a loss of what may be the final 14mil of his career. Until MLB moves away from the ‘3 times and you’re out model’ players will continue to take banned PEDs.
1) Definitely true, almost assuredly. I’d imagine PED usage for injury recovery/rehab is common at MLB level depending on age/contract status.
2) Do you mean he’s getting touched up for something that’s not on the banned substance list at all? I’m hard pressed to give him the benefit of the doubt after one positive test. Although it does remind me of R. A. Dickey testing positive for opium after eating a bunch of lemon poppy chicken.
4) crazy bad luck.
He will never play another game for the Braves because there will be a 3rd time he will get caught!
Seems like he would have learned his lesson but apparently he didn’t.
Now we wait to hear the denials or excuses.
Probably a cream or ointment!
It’s always a cream or ointment.
None of them will admit to a needle!
I was skeptical of the Mike Yastrzemski 2 year deal when first announced, but that deal is looking like a great move right now!
It’s either the Cream or the Clear.
I can’t say for certain he will get caught again, but I wonder what happens if he doesn’t.
Will the Braves dump him to avoid the bad visuals even if he is clean next Spring?
Guaranteed contract and throws it away for what, why would he do this again
This guy is basically the Robinson Cano of Austin Kearnses
Manny Ramirez raises his hand.
LOL, pure savagery.
Brutal
Dude, come on this is just being a moron. The first go around should have been lesson learned…
“Bro, he had his reasons.” – Emmanuel Clase
Oops, he did it again!
The Mike Yastrzemski deal is looking better and better!
Thats questionable. It’s difficult to believe he would risk 15M. I feel like Profar is somehow getting hosed on this one by the scrupulous Braves and a scrupulous test.
I hope their is some recourse for Profar. The B sample and some sort of independent testing in the case he has to file a civil suit against the Braves.
Holy tinfoil hat. Also, I don’t think scrupulous means what you think it means
Their their, lil’ ABS. This regression will not stand!
@dirtyjog — right, unscrupulous was the word what I was looking for, thanks for correcting my error.
42M in career earnings, I guess he can afford to risk it but why?
Did the Braves pay him off under the table to take a season off and orchestrate a second dirty test? Or is Profar getting screwed entirely?
His money wont count against their cap space now that he is suspended.
They are the only team in MLB who file an annual report and posting a loss is an eyesore.
Tin hat is right.
Why would the Braves want to set him up? They just signed him.
The set-up will be next year …if they are up against the Luxury Tax!
Why would Profar risk 30M guaranteed? He could have played those two seasons on the level and that money is a lock, at least 15M.
He wouldn’t have been in line for a great contract in his age 35 season. That is a safe to assume. He also knows there is a work stoppage on the horizon that could potentially wipe out his ’27 earnings. With a work stoppage a significant possibility, this season’s 15M is way too much to risk for a performance boost. I dont think he’d take that risk.
The Braves may have felt cheated by Profar’s violation in ’25 and decided to do a little cheating of their own. Nobody is going to take the side of a known cheater, we can pop him for a failed test and save 15M on our CBT payroll. Braves are right at the taxline.
Dirtying up Profar saves us from having to pay tax should we find ourselves in the position of needing to add a player or two at the trade deadline. In that way, popping Profar could save us 20M total this season.
They are already on record as having not liked Profar defensively. They can do without a 15M DH. They have a Ronald Acuna problem in some way, Ronnie Acuna is getting to them, so they decided to play hardball and wacked Profar.
Well, that is a ‘theory’.
Nice speculation with ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF. Profar provided the proof for the guilty verdict.
I wondered why I had you on mute. Now I remember.
Why would Profar risk 30M guaranteed?
Occam’s Razor would suggest – and the unfortunate answer is – he’s just an idiot
@No ABS in ’27
You’re way overthinking this. Established pro athletes cheat because it’s driven by hyper-competitiveness. Go watch candid interviews of ARod and Lance Armstrong. Those two already had the millions, fame, sponsorships, and their legacies set and still decided to cheat.
Braves brought Profar in partly because he is Acuna’s friend. Profar is from Curacao, Acuna from Venezuala.
Braves figure it will help them in extending Acuna. Acuna has been barking about an extension since the walking boot came off to begin the ’25 season.
When he didn’t get it, you could see him on the Braves bench wearing his walking boot in dismay.
After this off season and the inflated AAV’s on contracts to Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, Acuna is outraged with potentially three more seasons at 17M per.
The situation is a complete mess for the Braves. It has disrupting their ’26 team, and they made their move. Id say Profar is innocent based on my line of thought and that the Braves are in for a long season.
How dumb do you have to be…
Forget getting a DH off the heap .. go get Chippa! Even being out of baseball this long, I can guarantee you he is a better hitter than most of the available players at this point.
Or, just bring up Tromp and let Drake DH about 70% of the time. Save the wear and tear on his body while he continues to improve.
Braves should be fine when Kim and Murphy return in May…Yaz will play LF vs all righties…Dubon hits lefties well…one of the catchers can DH. Spend the $$$ saved on Littell or Giolito for Chrisakes.
Save the $$$ and use Ritchie as the #5 starter. Don’t get the rationale behind wanting Giolito and Littell. Why hasn’t anyone else signed Giolito? Because his recent elbow/forearm issues aren’t worth taking a chance on. Littell? Declining K rate and he’ll give up more homers than Elder at Truist. Ritchie’s been excellent this spring. Use him now, save the Profar money for a trade deadline deal. Don’t spend more on pitchers (Giolito, Littell) who aren’t necessarily better than the cheaper back end starters the Braves already have (Elder, Wentz, Martin Perez.)
So what happens when a couple more pitchers go down…Sale, Lopez, Holmes all come with injury risks above most other pitchers. We don’t know what Strider will be at less than 95mph…nobody wants a July/August rotation with Elder/Wentz/Carrasco/Perez in it. Either Littell or Giolito are certainly upgrades over those guys. Ritchie is a good prospect but to not expect bumps and bruises in a rookie year is pure fantasy. We should be trying to compete this year..right?!
Giolito’s just as much an injury risk as anyone the Braves have—-if not more. He couldn’t finish the season last year due to his elbow/forearm injury. Probably the reason no one wants him now. Littell’s not “certainly” an upgrade either. He’s a gopher ball machine. Might not even be as good as Elder in Truist because of his homer issues—-and inability to K hitters. Ritchie’s been lights out this spring. Giolito and Littell can’t even get on a field. They’re not an answer to anybody’s hopes or prayers.
Ritchie needs to develop. He can be a frontliner.
I’ll get the buckets ready to start bailing the water out of the boat when July/August rolls around when we’re short on starting pitching …
You’ll need all the water in those buckets to put out the fires Giolito and Littell will start if the Braves make the mistake of signing either of them. Littell probably leads the league in homers allowed in Truist, and Giolito probably doesn’t last 2 weeks before he’s shelved for the season w/the same elbow/forearm issue that ended his season last year.
If you really think Giolito is an upgrade over any of the Braves top 7 you must not be looking past last year. He is basically Elder in a nutshell.
Littel is a little more of a chance, but his underlying metrics will say he is about to have one of those years where balls don’t fall into fielders gloves. He is a non-K, soft contact pitcher. He differs from Elder in that his ground ball rate is much lower. Only thing helping him are absurdly low BABIP and HR rates. He just speaks ‘explosion imminent’.
They just aren’t big enough upgrades over Elder or any of those young arms to spend any sort of money on. Save the cash unless you can take on a contract for a RH platoon OF that fits. Then, if you need the cash later in the year to help at one spot, use it.
Elder’s ERA since the All Star break in 2023 is over 5.50…enough of a sample size for me. I’m pretty sure either Giolito or Littell can do better. So many Braves fans make themselves into pretzels trying to convince themselves that Elder, Wentz, Perez, Carrasco are actually decent pitchers….
I haven’t seen a single Braves fan make the claim that Carrasco is “actually a decent pitcher” or even a viable rotation option. Not one. Elder, Wentz, and to a lesser extreme, Perez, are regarded as back of the rotation starters or depth to be utilized for lack of better options. No one is claiming they’re anything more than that. Most Braves fans want to aim higher than a pitcher w/a season ending elbow injury and a back end starter w/K and home run issues. Sounds like someone’s got a shiny toy, pretzel twisting obsession w/Giolito and Littell.
No obsession here..just comes down to simple equations.. Giolito > Elder et al…
Littell > Elder et al..
I’d certainly prefer a trade for a Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantara or someone like that.
Giolito > Elder et al…
Littell > Elder et al..
Yes, but not $13-15m greater or whatever he is asking. Blank slate salary, absolutely. Even then though, I am not certain at all I would block young arms with upside.
I think the Braves should roll as is, trying to get through the first two months and see if they can find a better way to spend those savings from Profar. But, they ain’t listening to any of us anyway. 😛
Keep in mind rarely do players return from injuries in mid season form.
Not sure how the Braves got duped into giving him that contract after his ‘career year at age 31’. Kinda obvious how that happened. Dude was a below average MLB hitter before 2024. AA flubbed this one …
What an idiot.
Perhaps as dumb as Profar.
Apparently numerous players and front office personnel read MLBTR. If one of you could pass this message on to Jurickson, that would be great: “You’re an idiot!”
I’m sure his teammates already delivered that message. 😁. They are probably more p***ed off than anyone.
Or if it’s like any other place of employment, his teammates laughed for a minute talked about how stupid he is and then moved on and totally forgot about him.
Use it towards Littel or Giolito. There could also be some interesting guys cut in other camps you bring in to replace Profar.
They could likely add Giolito & a hitter and clubhouse guy like Andrew McCutchen
Cutch is washed. He’s not better than people already in camp.
@Sid: Neither are Giolito and his bum elbow and the gopher ball machine Littell. Yeah, hard no on Cutch.
Lol…the Braves are a dumpster fire.
Chill McTroll. Btw, who’s your team? I’d trash them on every article posted about them the way you do the Braves, except I’m not a troll.
You’d think he’d learn after the first one 🤦♂️
This is your brain….this is your brain on drugs.
WHAT AN IDIOT. Fifteen Million thrown away.
Oh, Pro…
We’ll always have that one game when Ruiz went at you.
Does he eventually get his money?
Not this year’s money, but he still gets paid in 2027 for the last year of his contract. Or whatever part of the 2027 season actually happens.
It’s crazy that this guy needs Cliff Notes for a few paragraphs….
But let’s say that 2027 there’s a lockout and only one-half of the season is played. He’s only paid one-half of 2027 and one-half of 2025 (that was not suspended). So, of a 3-year contract he’d only be paid for ~1 year of service (~1.5 years missed due to suspension, ~0.5 years missed due to possible lockout). Quite amazing.
There’s no way to rationalize profars decision after getting 3 years guaranteed from a financial perspective.
It’s only that he wanted to “live up” to the contract. He had $42MM banked and could’ve been awful
Exactly correct Baltimore. Which begs the question…how could AA give out that contract to a player who has a ‘career year at age 31’ when he was a 92 wRC+ performer who can’t defend up to that point??? AA should have known better ..
Read the article….
The money for this year is lost. If he passes the multitude of drug tests he’ll have to take going forward, he is still entitled to 2027’s guaranteed salary. Another positive test and he loses that as well.
If he’s smart he doesn’t take anything. Keeps his nose clean, collects next year’s money and hopes theres enough left of him playing clean next year that someone offers a minor league deal with a camp invite for 2028.
Realistically? Hes probably done.
wow dave wow
Apparently some people never learn
What he learned was that MLB is tolerant of repeat PED offenders because it appeases the union.
He can come back in the final year of his contract and rake after two years of juicing to get his new contract
I believe that he will continue to be tested during the suspension. If he misses a test, that ‘should’ trigger an automatic 3rd suspension.
That said, MLB/MLBPA have played it a bit loose in the past on suspensions due to postponed tests.
One more suspension and he’s out of the league. Not sure how that appeases the union but he does get one more chance to end his career
How there been anything to age better than Will Smith calling Profar irrelevant three years ago?
The Braves should sign Max Kepler. He can come back mid season from his PED suspension!
He just keeps eating batteries.
This wraps up his braves career since there will be no season in 2027. Quite possibly the end of his career in MLB at this point.
Highly doubt the 2027 season is canceled.
I think they mean that ATL will most likely release him, just a matter of timing.
Why release him? If I’m Atlanta I see if I can go 3/3
Profar, he’s lost half of his contract with the Braves. His glory days seem Profar away that I’m a little surprised he didn’t sign with the Angels.
Absolutely no justification for MLB to remain associated in any way with Profar. He’s already been suspended – any excuses for a ‘second chance’ are spent.
MLBPA got him three strikes in the CBA. MLB agreed to it. You will see him again ….
Why does Profar keep getting PED suspensions? He needs to stop.
Pretty sure the Yankees would trade them Spencer jones for 2 low level lottery ticket minor league players, take a chance that he hits a few home runs between stroke outs
Baffling decision to throw 15mil away after you lost half of your salary last year.
It’s kind of amazing that he’s as dumb as he is obnoxious
Y’know, I understand the suspension when trying to land a contract or in the immediate aftermath.. the reward is simply too great. But twice? When you have the money banked? He was worth the money in limited action last year! Truly baffling.
Interesting to see MLBPA challenge. Gonna bite my tongue for now.
It’s pretty obvious he can’t hit for power without the PEDs. In this case, his value of pride seems to have outweighed his value of money.
That said, the PEDs helped him get a 21mil (after the suspensions) contract after he signed a 1mil deal at the age of 31. So as long as he doesn’t test positive a 3rd time, it was still well worth it for him financially.
He’s got some power unless he’s been juicing most of his career. Even hit 14 bombs in 80 games last season. The cynic in me says he could’ve been juicing last year but IIRC there’s greater scrutiny/testing after a player gets popped. It’s a weird situation and I gotta see about the challenge before I make any further speculation. Agree that he comes out ahead financially even with a 162-game suspension.
If we look at only HRs then his career high 24 at the age of 31 isn’t that outlandish as he had hit 20 twice earlier in his career. The problem with associating home runs and power, is that they’re just as much a function of flyball and pull rates as they are a function of hitting the ball hard.
But if you look at average exit velocity, he had been between 85.2 and 87.5 his entire 8 year career before posting a 91.1 AEV with the Padres in 2024. Players are able to increase their exit velocity, but it typically comes with a drawback in other areas (usually contact rates) but that didn’t happen with Profar. He simply added an extreme level (3.6 mph over previous career high) of exit velocity at the age of 31 without any drawbacks and kept much of those gains (89 AEV) into his suspension shortened age 32 campaign.
Very astute comment. Good point on HR as a reflection of pulled fly balls. Last year’s aEV was 89.0 which is right on the boundary of a standard deviation, but the 91.1 aEV in 2024 (nearly 2 standard deviations!) does stick out like a sore thumb. I do think he had some swing mechanic changes in the 23-24 offseason (his whole approach was radically different than years prior) but I admit this is probably some post-hoc rationalization. IMO there’s some combination of both PEDs mechanical changes the past 2 years, but great points overall.
Stupid. Dummy. Idiot. Moron. Bozo. Nose picker.
So after being the #1 prospect in MLB in 2013 Profar knocks around MLB for 11 years..only earns around $34mm while being a below average MLB hitter(92 wRC+) for those 11 years…then PED’s up to have a career year in 2024 to sucker the Braves into giving him a $42mm contract for 3 years…but then turns around and forfeits half of that $$$ with not one, but TWO suspensions???? Hard to fathom ….
LOL LOVE IT!!!
Tommy Pham has entered the chat, unfortunately.
Is he just dumb or stupid?
He is Dupid
Both.
Bruh.
So glad the Royals didn’t sign him
Profar from the Braves
Sign Giolito and Cutch with the $
A year ago I suggested that the Braves should cut their ties with him and move on. The overall reaction was he will be fine and he will help their team. Just cut him and move on. His career is over and he can blame himself.
They’ve barely paid him any of his contract. Half last year, none this year. Might as well hold onto him to see if he’s dumb enough to fail a third time and get out entirely.
Wow, this man has cost himself a lot of money!
I can do a lot with 15 million.
The Rays have plenty of (AAAA) outfielders!
$15 Million Welcome to Atlanta
Does this end his career?
Has any player ever been idiotic enough to do PEDs 2 years in a row? Usually years go by before they try again.
Some of those guys In the late 90’s come to mind
It wasn’t illegal. It was frowned upon.
@MT: So it was smart in your estimation? Neither I nor OP mentioned legality, only intelligence was mentioned
What a stupid mistake. It’s guaranteed money whether he performs or not. So even if he stayed clean and had a bad year, he still would’ve been paid.
How can he show his face in Atlanta again? I imagine AA will trade him for scraps.
No. No, can’t.
Who’s more stupid: Emmanuel Clase sacrificing his potential HOF career and potential millions of dollars for like 700K and facing potential 65 years in prison or Jurickson Profar? Give me Clase.
Clase. Profar, at least if he had stopped taking the PEDs, would have been $42 million dollars richer, or whatever he had left after the first suspension.
The cost-benefit analysis of Clase torpedoing hundreds of millions for $700k never made any sense.
Well, he is one.
They have to get a new rule in the next CBA allowing teams to void contracts of positive tested players.
There is less chance of the MLBPA agreeing to that than there is of them agreeing to a cap.
What would stop an organization member from sneaking a banned substance in his food in order to get him busted again/the club out of a hefty salary?
It’s a strange vindictive world if someone doesn’t like the guy.
Back it up with Strike Three early next spring and this theory accounts for a bases-clearing hit!
If they were caught it would be a franchise ending court case. In Profar’s suspension last season that would not be possible since it is an injection only substance.
The Angels just settled a legal battle over their negligence leading up to Tyler Skaggs’s fatal overdose a couple of mknths ago. If they can survive that kind of lawsuit, then the Braves can survive whatever lawsuit comes at them if they’re found responsible for spiking Profar with steroids.
HUGE difference between gross negligence and willful conduct in court. One is a lawsuit. The other would be a criminal case.
What would stop the backup from sneaking in the banned substance, so they get the opportunity to start. Keep your eyes on Yaz!
Lol
@cws: Do you sell tinfoil hats out of the trunk of your car or do you also have a website? If not, you’re probably missing out on tens of dollars of potential income……………
Lol-It’s just getting busted a 2nd time when you are getting that much guaranteed money is egregiously dumb. Was hoping there’s a shadier subplot that some lowly employee he snubbed, lazy bum relative he wouldn’t give money to or ex sought revenge for their perceived slight.
Yes.
I wonder what Melky Cabrera is up to? Oh, wait…
Remember, it’s not a lie if YOU believe it.
Could always bring back JHey to platoon with White in LF. Rotate DH duties between Yaz, Baldwin and Acuna and then Murphy when Murph comes back. Other than that I think Justin Turner and Jesse Winker are out there unsigned. Slim pickins all around.
There has to be more than this. It’s illogical in the extreme for him to doing it, but if he did, what’s the point of an MLBPA appeal if they rarely work?
For all the folks that are calling him stupid, he’s played this one perfectly (morality aside). He spent the first 11 years of his career accumulating a total of 4.8 bWAR. Pops some PEDs, signs a $42M contract that he’d have never otherwise have gotten. Has his agent backload the contract just in case he gets caught.
He cheated, and winds up with a $30M/2 contract for 2027-28, instead of a couple of $3-4M one year contracts.
He spent about $6 million last year. Another $15 million this year, all guaranteed but forfeited while under suspension …how is that not stupid?
The other 15? No guarantee he is smart enough to stay clean to get that. $42 million GUARANTEED and it could end up being 6 when he’s done. Sheer idiocy.
The 3/42 was for 2025-2027. He forfeited $5.8 million of $12 million for 2025 and will forfeit all $15 million for 2026. He has $15 million still owed for 2027. Nothing for 2028.
I mis-read the contract, very badly.
He’s stupid for continuing to take steroids well after the contract was signed. Just cost himself tens of millions in salary. It’d have been one thing to take them the one time in 2024 to play for the contract, serve the 80 games afterwards, and then never do it again so he could at least make most of his money.
Believe you were corrected above on this. Profar signed a 3 year deal, $42M that runs from 2025-2027——not 2028.
This was a terrible signing before the ped stuff.
Remember that time I had that 15 million dollar job I screwed up?
What’s next for the Braves? Has to be a blown out knee for Acuna, right?
Is there a one year salary dump guy (OF or pitcher) out there that the Braves might want to take on with the right prospect added of course? The first name that popped to my mind would be Jose Berrios. Toronto might not even need to attach a prospect to him. They might just need to accept a lot less in return. Maybe just a lotto ticket or two. Or a fringe reliever that will bounce between AAA and MLB.
Minor quibble:
The Braves weren’t gonna be paying Profar the 20% tax on his $15M salary as a result of being over the luxury tax threshold. They would have been paying that $3M to the league office.
Agh, that should’ve read “paying for him.” Fixed. Thanks.
Dominican Tinactin claims another innocent victim.
I blame Tylenol.
Ridiculous this is allowed.
Voiding of contract
Lifetime ban
It doesn’t matter Ben Gamel has been mashing this spring and will take his place.
Doesn’t the MLBPA challenge every suspension?
Yes. It’s a formality usually, but on the .00001% chance shenanigans are ensuing the MLBPA has to protect the player.
The usual process is a PED suspension doesn’t get announced until after any appeal gets heard, and all parties then issue statements using similar language. (Blah, blah, blah disappointed blah blah blah very seriously blah blah blah let down the team.) This sounds like the union is filing a grievance, which I think would go to an arbitrator.
Sorry but this is hilarious. What an idiot
You gotta hand it to him for trying to maintain his breakout after signing that contract. The methods of his madness aren’t at all agreeable but he could’ve easily just said “alright, I’m good now!” and let himself tank while collecting his big paychecks.
Has Profar made a statement about it or addressed the press yet?
Those talking about Ben Gamel, he’s a lefty also. No help in left from him. Maybe some help as a backup or a random dh but I don’t see that helping anything other than a spot start to give some rest.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
“Sad” he cannot participate in the…”Extravaganza.”
LOLbraves moment
This isn’t funny.
How can you say that because this is isn’t the Braves fault the Mets didn’t sign anyone for the first part of the offseason.
If its tangentially the mets fault then its still a LOL moment
What an absolute idiot. I hope he gets not just a lifetime ban from MLB, but other consequences for that loser life of his. I mean seriously, how stupid do you have to be to fail another test?
The Braves gave him the PEDs to take . A backroom deal to save luxury tax money.
Another charter member of the tin foil hat gang comedy troupe pops in……………..
We tinfoil hat enthusiasts do not claim this individual.
Quite the conspiracy theory there….I wish I had your imagination….
This would be a foolproof plan except for one teensy little hangup: how the hell do you convince a player to forfeit more than 20 million dollars in salary?
Also, if they’re that hard up about the luxury tax, why not trade Sale instead of signing him to an extension?
Atlanta should try to void the contract. His contract ( 3yr 42 million) was based on his performance on PED’s.
Zero respect for the way Profar carries himself.
Love this. Watching him play sh@ts me to tears.
These guys know they will be tested. Especially after getting caught in the previous year. He lost $21m over cheating. That’s called a stupid tax.
PED risk to get that big contract? Makes some sense. PED risk after you’ve gotten that big contract? Not so much.
Goodbye – See ya!!
won’t be shocked if they go pick up McCutchen
A Rod says hi. Big Papi goes yuk yuk yuk. Hypocrisy of enforcement-testing.
What about Verlander,Gersham, Jazz, amazing no way these 3 have clean piss.
Perhaps this is a conspiracy perpetrated by the Braves to cook Profar’s pee so they wouldn’t have to pay him. He already juiced up last year. Who is going to believe he’s not guilty? If Profar were on the Yankees, this would make a great Seinfeld episode…
OR, and hear me out… maybe he took PEDs.
Profar is addicted to PED’s, apparently. Some guys never learn.
When a player is suspended for PEDs during a multi year contract, teams should be able to void the rest of the contract.
Sounds like the only time he is an above .230 hitter is when he is on something. Time to give up baseball and go with your fallback career option.
Basically “the clear from Balco”
Serious question about testing positive for a PED. Would it make any difference of his doctor prescribed what he failed his drug test with? Or is it basically if you test for something banned by MLB you’re basically SOL?
Dubon is about to break records
Profar has already made way more money than most of us see in a lifetime, plus if he’s vested in mlb pension he can live comfortably the rest of his life in curacao or anywhere else in Latin America. The really dumb ones are those that haven’t made a pile yet, like Felipe Vazquez and Emmanual Clase and Wander Franco.
I don’t understand why these cheats get so many chances….I am a zero tolerance guy. OK, give them one mistake at most. Profar should be banned for life!
Now I see why his 2024 was so good
I recently started using steroids and the results have been amazing in my 40 and over baseball league. I went from -4.0 WAR to -3.6 WAR. A few more injections and I will be in our Hall Of Fame. So I can see why Jurickson keeps using.
I completely agree.
Why is the union appealing
Would they appeal if he did something terrible to a child ?
Obviously an idiot
Obviously a slow learner. This ban should be upheld as he has learned nothing from an 80 game suspension last year. Tough luck Braves. This guy needed a full time babysitter.
MLB should issue a lifetime ban from MLB to second offenders of the substance abuse policy, and have to pay back their their previous years salary to the team they played for. They had their chance.
Same ol’, same ol’. Like previous comments say, why would you try it again? He has never been a class act for baseball (especially for the Padres during the playoffs). But why? You make millions. Where he was from would treat him as a hero even if he hit .220.
Real question- does anyone think he was really trying to take PED’s and not get caught? He lost $6m last year and would stand to lose $12m this year if he got caught. Whats the upside? He’s probably never getting another big contract again regardless. Maybe he’s just dumb and took something he shouldn’t have unknowingly which is his own fault. But I have a hard time believing he was willfully trying to cheat and not get caught. He has little gain and way more to lose.
Will Smith was right all along.
At least he was going for variety in his PEDs.