Jurickson Profar is back in the picture this winter, but that should not change the Braves’ approach.
The outfielder has resurfaced in Venezuela, where the Tiburones de La Guaira Sharks announced him for the 2026-2027 season. It’s the same club Ronald Acuna Jr. usually joins if he plays winter ball.
For Atlanta, though, the bigger issue is what comes next. Profar seems set on using the Venezuelan league as a springboard back to Major League Baseball in 2027, but there’s no clear reason that reunion has to involve the Braves.
If Atlanta kept him, the price tag would still be there: $15 million next season. The Braves can use offense, sure, but they already got burned badly enough to know better. Profar’s trust level with fans, teammates and the organization is gone, and that matters.
The contract itself already stings. Atlanta signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal and got only one half of the 2025 season out of it. The silver lining was that they were off the hook for 2026 because he was a repeat offender.
Profar has continued to insist he didn’t knowingly take PEDs, but that explanation hasn’t moved anyone. The damage was done, and it left the Braves in a rough spot two years in a row.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has shown it can keep moving. The team won the division and finished with one of the best records in baseball without him.
That’s why the safest move is simple: let Profar play elsewhere, see what he looks like in winter ball, and keep the Braves out of another gamble. Even if he performs well in Venezuela, there’s no reason to invite a third headache. All he had to do was show up and play his best every day.
he's just a jerk who doesn't think the rules apply to him. Neither is good.
In Other News...
Braves Face One Big Question With Chance To End Phillies Series
Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series shifts back to Truist Park on Wednesday afternoon, with the Braves facing the kind of spot every October contender hopes to reach. Atlanta has a chance to end the Phillies series at 2 p.m. ET, and the matchup brings a familiar postseason mix of roster tweaks, bullpen management and urgency from the first pitch. Ranger Surez gets the ball for Philadelphia, while the Braves will counter with right-hander Sonny Mahle as both clubs lean on the lineups and relief arms they trust most.
For Atlanta, the bigger question is how the front office and coaching staff balance the immediate need to finish the job with the longer playoff grind still ahead. The expected starting lineups give a decent picture of how each side plans to attack the game, and the bullpen choices should matter just as much once the starters hand things over. Fans can catch the action on the scheduled broadcast, but the real focus is whether the Braves can handle business at home and move on without forcing the series to another day. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Make A Risky Game 2 Lineup Call With Season On Line
The Braves shuffled their Game 2 lineup against the Phillies with Cristopher Snchez on the mound, making a clear bet on past matchups as they try to keep their season alive. Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies were moved up because of their success against Snchez, while Michael Harris II was dropped lower in the order even after a strong recent stretch, a reminder of how much postseason lineup decisions can still come down to matchup history.
Harris has brushed off the move, saying he feels good about where his game is right now and pointing to the adjustments he has made since the 2025 All-Star break as part of his steadier production. For Atlanta, the bigger question is whether leaning on those old numbers against Snchez will pay off when the margin for error is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Face A Lineup Issue Braves Fans Should Watch
Edmundo Sosas night ended abruptly in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series when the Phillies infielder went down with an apparent leg injury while running to first base against the Braves. Philadelphia quickly turned to Derek Hill as a pinch-runner, and the club did not offer an immediate update on how serious the issue might be.
For Atlanta, it adds another layer to a series that already has demanded constant adjustments. Sosa had been in the lineup as a replacement for the injured Luis Arraez, so his status for a potential Game 3 is now in question, leaving the Phillies with one more potential hole to manage if the series extends. [Read more 🡒]