Jurickson Profar‘s appeal of his 162-game suspension for a second positive PED test was unsuccessful, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Profar will serve the entire 162-game suspension, missing all of the 2026 season, and will be ineligible for postseason play if Atlanta qualifies. He will not be paid his $15MM salary this season, which means the Braves will also be spared the $3MM of luxury taxes they’d have paid on his contract this season.
Whether Atlanta plans to reinvest any of that $18MM in savings remains to be seen. There’s been little indication the Braves are actively seeking external additions to this point, though it’s certainly possible they were waiting for absolute certainty regarding Profar’s status before spending any additional funds. The Braves were already pushing a franchise-record payroll at the time of Profar’s suspension, and there was ample speculation that perhaps the team was at or near its budgetary limit, given the lack of urgency shown despite three notable injuries in their rotation this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had loose bodies removed from their right elbows, and left-hander Joey Wentz was lost for the season due to an ACL tear.
There aren’t many free agents of note for Atlanta to consider, although righty Lucas Giolito stands as one obvious exception. Southpaw Tyler Anderson also remains unsigned. The Braves could also look into any number of veterans who have the right to opt out of minor league contracts around the league over the next week. MLBTR recently profiled 33 such players. No one from that group would command significant money, but it at least gives Atlanta president of baseball operations some additional options to consider if he’s looking to augment his roster following Profar’s departure.
Profar is still under contract with the Braves through 2027, when he’ll be owed $15MM in the final season of what’s become a disastrous three-year, $42MM contract. It’s not yet clear how the Braves will proceed with him, though since he’ll spend the entire 2026 season on the restricted list, there’s no urgency for them to make the decision. With two PED suspensions under his belt, Profar is now one positive test away from becoming just the second player to ever receive a lifetime ban following three positive PED tests. He’d join right-hander Jenrry Mejia in holding that dubious distinction.
Lot of cash to lose…
Now go sign Giolito
Just seems logical but at what price?
At this point, low base, incentive based on starts or innings pitched.
Honestly, I’m pretty surprised Gio hasn’t found a job yet. With the price of pitching, I’d have surely thought somebody would’ve taken a flier on him by now, given his reasonably solid history and durability aside from 2024.
There is a reason no team has signed him.
You do the crime, you do the time.
See ya Profar, we barely knew ya…
You think the Braves will cut Profar and eat 15 mil? Don’t think that is how it will play out. Short leash, but roster spot for 2027 seems likely.
No he’ll be here in 27′ (minus the doom and gloom about no 27′ season)….now a salary dump trade may be a real possibility to a competing team looking for a DH/4th outfielder.
I dont get guys repeatedly failing tests. He just got popped last season. Why on earth would he think he could keep cheating just to get popped again? Are some people just that mind bogglingly stupid?
He was dinged for different drugs both times so it maybe be he thought he could game it with a different drug or he noticed he didn’t actually get busted for PEDs the first time around. The first time wasn’t actually for PEDs it was for a masking agent used after a cycle of PEDs. The second time was for actual PEDs so he probably decided to go off the thing that got caught only to no longer have the masking agent and get caught again.
The takeaway is the PED industry needs to step up their game in the masking agent department.
IMO Profar should have known better he thought he could cheat the system and it blew up in his face I think Atlanta should cut their losses and be done with him and put the 18m to better use not nesscerely on Giolito thou
Braves do not have $18m to spend as a result of Profar’s suspension. Yes, they will save $18m if they don’t spend elsewhere(which I won’t put past the Braves btw) but if they spend $15m elsewhere they will be taxed $3m(20%)because they are over the first tax threshold.
The Josh Gordon method of doing banned substances
Actually, Chazz Michael Michaels-level mind bottling stupid.
To the surprise of absolutely no one.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody.
haha
He bailed on the Netherlands team without saying a word when he got popped
I feel zero sympathy for him and i wish the Braves would just cut him. But knowing how they handled Ozuna, they won’t. Ozuna ended up making us forget what a trainwreck he was there for a while but Profar is crushing us. The announcement of this suspension came out at a terrible time, so late in the offseason it’s near impossible for the Braves to get a replacement or even a quality player at a different position
If they cut him, they are on the hook for next year’s salary. If they don’t cut him and he gets popped again, they are in the clear. I would be willing to wait that out.
@CubsKev — I’d wondered that, but would they still be on the hook if there’s a work stoppage cutting into his salary, much like the pandemic-affected 2020 season only paying prorated salaries?
Players don’t get paid during work stoppages.
His “replacement” is Mike Yastrzemski. What people are mad about there is that they didn’t sign McCutchen because he was a name and “cheap.” So maybe they have little choice but to play Eli White more. Which wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.
Eli White should be a starting janitor.
No, that’s my job.
I bullish on Yaz. He’s a good all around player and Atlanta will get the best out of him.
Good!!!!
Poor Guy
Well deserved. Now use that payroll space for Giolito. Although I’m starting to wonder if Gio wants to wait to sign until June. That would give him more time to recover, build up slowly, showcase for teams, etc. If he’s lucky, some team will get desperate enough to give him a better deal than what he’s been offered so far.
For Giolito to still be on the market, something must not look right in his medicals.
Stop using Soul Glo. It doesn’t work.
Quick question, any Braves fans thinking “What a blow to the team” or is there just some mild celebration going on.
What’s the appeal based on?
League: You’re appealing?
Profar: Yes.
League: On what basis?
Profar: On the basis that I still want money.
League: Did you take PED’s?
Profar: Well…yes…
League: Appeal rejected.
As a Braves fan I wish someone would want him. I kind of felt sorry for him last year, thought maybe he was taking something that he did not know what it was. This year is different, he’s a cheater, wish we could trade him, but I think you would have to pay someone to take him. Cut him loose, it’s better than having the circus around you wherever you go.
I am really curious how he looks in ’27. A year older, but he was good on a rate basis last year.
I’m pretty sure no team is going to want to touch him without constant testing, which I doubt the players uniting would agree to.
I think a switch-hitter with a league average or better bat still gets a ML deal, if only for league minimum. Not as a starter necessarily, but you could do far worse as a bench option.
Maybe but maybe not. Regardless, the Braves are on the hook for his 2027 salary. They might as well try to get something out of him, worst case scenario and Profar does PEDs again then they don’t owe him anything. Even if they do release him, whatever team picks him up is only on the hook for league minimum and again, lose nothing if he tests positive again. The biggest question would be more along the lines of would you really want him in your clubhouse?
Isn’t there something about testing becoming less random for players who already have a positive test?
Braves have a lot of extra money to spend now. Any chance they want Grisham or Stanton?? Haha. I’d rather take my chances with Jones or Dominez at a much cheaper price. Or possibly revisit getting Kwan to lead off for Yankees
Clear case of a player who knows he can’t produce enough without ‘help’. His pre-2024 production was below MLB average(92 wRC+). Why would the Braves want that kind of production as a DH???.. he’s played his last game as Brave.
I think he has played his last game for his career nobody is going to want a cheater on there team Profar Astros on line 1 lol
I was under the impression that suspended players are still paid out by the club, but then the money is taken from the paycheck and given to the league charity fund. Like if you get suspended for bumping an umpire for 5 games, your paycheck just gets docked and funneled to the league. Is the policy for steroids different?
Everyone keeps reporting the Braves get the money back and save on the luxury tax hit but I think the Braves still pay, just Profar doesn’t get the money, MLB charities and the Baseball Assistance Fund does.