Padres' insider casts doubt on fan favorite's return despite Jackson Merrill’s plea

By all accounts, the San Diego Padres signing Jurickson Profar late last offseason ended up being the biggest free agent bargain in all of baseball. After inking deal for just $1 million, Profar slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers while terrorizing the Los Angeles Dodgers all season long. It was absolutely delightful.

However, Profar's career year also came during a one year contract, which means he easily could hit the open market and command a very nice raise. Profar has already indicated he would like to stay, but nothing is certain once free agency starts and offers from offense-starved teams begin to flow.

Padres insider Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription required) recently published an article not only relaying Jackson Merrill's heartfelt desire for Profar to return, but also a number of headwinds the Padres face in trying to keep Profar in San Diego.

Jurickson Profar's return to the Padres has a few potential speed bumps to overcome, but Jackson Merrill wants him back

In a vacuum, the Padres bringing Profar back just makes too much sense. Not only was he insanely productive in 2024, but the outfielder was part of the soul of this year's San Diego squad. It was no surprise whatsoever to hear his teammate say, "I don’t know if I could imagine any situation without Pro now," Merrill said, "That dude is one of a kind, and I wish the best for him. I want him back.” If you were to poll Padres players and fans, you would probably get the same reaction.

But, as Lin correctly points out, there are some problems when it comes to a reunion between the Padres and the free agent outfielder. Profar will be 32 years old next year and dealt with chronic knee issues in 2024. As great as Profar was this past season, there is no guaranteeing he'll be able to replicate that type of production going forward. Remember, Profar had not once equaled or outperformed his .839 OPS in 2024 during his career with his .793 OPS in 2018 being the closest.

The other issue just comes down to price. Profar absolutely deserves a raise and no one should argue differently. However, San Diego has a lot of money on their books for the foreseeable future, and with extension candidates like Dylan Cease, Luis Arráez, and Jackson Merrill among others on the roster, the Padres can't afford to go ham trying to re-sign Profar, especially if they want to make any other additions the next year or two.

In short, if Profar is willing to take a one-year deal with a team option for 2026 at a healthy, but not unreasonable AAV, then the Padres should jump all over it. However, if the bidding for his services this offseason (which could easily happen) pushes his price tag to where it would take a three-year guarantee, San Diego may need to move on.

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