Braves predicted to trade $42M All-Star, Silver Slugger to bolster depleted rotation amid injuries
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Last season, the Atlanta Braves faced an early challenge when Jurickson Profar was suspended due to PED use. The situation strained his relationship with the fanbase, leaving him needing to regain their trust.
“Atlanta keeping Profar doesn't change the fact that the outfielder will still be on thin ice. The veteran is going to need more than a handful of nice moments to win back a frustrated fan base. It will take a solid season of production and help push the franchise back into the postseason chase. Until the outfielder is traded or this happens, there is still going to be a level of frustration with the poor choice Profar made. Something that will continue to define the outfielder's time in Atlanta for the foreseeable future,” ATL All Day’s Nick Halden wrote.
Right before the World Baseball Classic, Profar was suspended a second time.
“Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote.
With two suspensions in less than a year, including a full-season ban, Atlanta could look to use Profar as trade bait.
“Any hopes Atlanta had about Profar providing a reliable left-handed bat in the middle of the Braves’ lineup ended upon his latest ban. That, coupled with the team’s rash of pitching injuries, makes me wonder if the front office could pursue a blockbuster trade involving an outfielder and a starter this summer,” FanSided’s Jake Elman wrote.
The Braves are in dire need of starting pitching, as the back end of their rotation is filled with question marks. Injuries to Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep have created a difficult situation.
Atlanta is coming off a disappointing season, missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. This year is expected to be a bounce-back season, but that may not happen unless the Braves add another reliable starter.
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