Few teams around Major League Baseball have needed help in their lineup more desperately than the Seattle Mariners this offseason. Yet, the only move they've mades so far is to acquire former prospect Austin Shenton from the Rays and sign the contact-oriented Donovan Solano to a single-year pact.
That leaves two or even three holes remaining in their projected Opening Day infield. The outfield has a little bit more certainty to it, with Victor Robles, Randy Arozarena and that Julio Rodriguez guy penciled in, but the lineup as a whole is still lacking.
Jurickson Profar, a star player who remained on the free-agent market until very recently, would've filled a few different holes in Seattle's lineup. However, the Mariners' front office once again elected to sit on their hands, and they ultimately saw the switch-hitter fall into the Atlanta Braves' lap at an extremely affordable rate.
#MLBTonight reacts to Jurickson Profar's contract with the Atlanta Braves. pic.twitter.com/luzfzS5dXX
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 23, 2025
Mariners swung and missed big time by letting Jurickson Profar sign elsewhere
The Mariners have, at one point, been interested in the likes of Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker, and so many other big names, but have come away empty. Profar is surely in the next tier down from some of those names, but it's hard to argue that he would've been a welcomed addition to the 2025 Mariners.
Instead, he's heading to Atlanta on an uber-cheap three-year, $42 million deal. Seattle certainly could've afford that number, especially when factoring in how valuable he could've been to this team.
This past season, the former can't-miss prospect of the Texas Rangers set career-highs in a number of major offensive categories, including home runs, runs scored, RBI, stolen bases, batting average and OPS. Along the way, he made the first All-Star Game of his 11-year career and also won a Silver Slugger Award.
Profar's value has never been higher, but this is what's always been expected of him after being one of the best prospects in the game. He made his big league debut at just 19 back in 2012 and has battled through injuries and inconsistencies over the years, but now seems to have found his stride.
Having a player with some pop, defensive versatility and swagger in the heart of the Mariners lineup would've been such a great fit. The club already has some of the more loose and fun players in the game on their roster in Robles, Arozarena, J-Rod and Cal Raleigh, but inking Profar to a deal like the one the Braves got him for feels like a major missed opportunity.