When the Atlanta Braves handed Jurickson Profar a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason, it was a quiet but strategic move. With Ronald Acuña Jr. returning from ACL surgery, Profar was brought in to stabilize the outfield and provide veteran production in left. Instead, he barely reached March before his season and contract imploded.
Profar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs just two weeks into the 2025 season, earning an 80-game suspension and forfeiting nearly half of his $12 million salary for the year. He went 3-for-15 at the plate before disappearing from the lineup and becoming the latest cautionary tale in Atlanta’s suddenly fragile title window.
A $42 Million Hole in Left Field
Bleacher Report didn’t mince words when they placed Profar among the top contract busts of the 2025 season, just two months in. And frankly, they’re right. You can’t fix an outfield from the clubhouse, and right now, Profar’s absence has only made things worse.
With Profar out, the Braves have turned to Alex Verdugo, Bryan De La Cruz (who was claimed off waivers by the Yankees), and Eli White in left field. The result? A combined .572 OPS and a single home run. Atlanta’s left field situation has become one of the worst in the league—and that’s before you consider Profar’s contract clogging up future payroll.
He won’t be eligible to return until July 2. And even if the Braves make the postseason, he won’t be allowed to play in October. Atlanta is stuck paying for a player unavailable for the season’s most important games.
PEDs and the Fallout That Follows
Profar’s suspension wasn’t just shocking—it was a gut punch. The positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that can aid testosterone production, immediately cast doubt on his late-career surge.
Last season, Profar hit a career-high with the Padres and parlayed that into a big payday. But now there are real questions about whether that success was legit—or whether Atlanta paid a premium for a mirage.
As Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller pointed out, there’s precedent here—and it’s not encouraging. Robinson Canó was never the same after his PED suspension. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ryan Braun took time to return to form. And those players were all far more accomplished than Profar.
Then there’s Noelvi Marte, who returned from an 80-game suspension in 2024 and posted a .549 OPS in the second half. If Profar follows that trajectory, the Braves may be stuck with a $42 million black hole.
What Happens When He Comes Back?
The big question is what the Braves will do with Profar when he returns. They can’t trade him during his suspension. They can’t stash him in the minors without his consent. And they can’t count on him to be anything more than a warm body until he proves otherwise.
The irony? This was supposed to be a low-risk, high-upside move. Profar was expected to bring stability and production to an outfield in flux. Instead, his suspension has left the Braves scrambling, looking like they lit $42 million on fire.
He’s not a locker room cancer. He’s not a headline-chasing diva. But Profar’s mistake—intentional or not—has already had a cascading effect on a roster built to contend.
The Verdict
It’s early. Profar could return, produce, and make everyone forget the messiness of April. But the track record for players returning from PED suspensions isn’t on his side. And with the Braves needing every win they can scrape together in a hyper-competitive NL, Profar’s absence is felt on both the stat sheet and the payroll.
Maybe he will turn it around. But as it stands now? The Braves rolled the dice on Profar, and they’ve already come up bust.
Braves $42 Million Move Slapped With ‘Contract Bust’ Label