Getty Images

Coming off a career year at the plate, veteran outfielder Jurickson Profar has agreed to a deal with the Braves, according to ESPN.

This past season with the San Diego Padres, Profar in 158 games batted .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, 29 doubles, and 10 stolen bases for a Pads team that won 93 games and made the postseason. Coming into last season, Profar had a career OPS+ of 92, but in 2024 he had an OPS+ of 134. Because Profar backed up his surge at the plate with impressive batted-ball indicators, the Braves are betting that what he did last year is sustainable for the time being.

Earlier in the offseason, CBS Sports ranked Profar as the No. 25 available free agent in the current class. Here's part of our write-up:

How much do you believe? You can run the numbers. You can watch the tape. You can consult with projection systems. You can chat with an oracle. Ultimately, player evaluation is a test of faith. No matter how you reached your conclusion, the whole thing reduces down to this: how much conviction do you hold in it? Are you willing to be wrong? If not, you're already lost. All of this is relevant to Profar, a fascinating study case. The former No. 1 prospect finally made good on that billing, notching his first star-caliber season at the plate at age 31. The underlying measures all pointed in the right direction: he hit the ball with greater authority; he walked more; he struck out less. If he were five years younger, he'd be in line for a handsome payday. He's not, though, so his marketplace reception hinges on how teams answer this capsule's first question.

Profar, who will turn 32 in February, has for his career a WAR of 8.5 across parts of 11 MLB seasons. This past season he earned his first All-Star appearance and won his first Silver Slugger Award.