Profar reaffirms desire to stay in SD as free agency looms

LOS ANGELES -- Another offseason and another free agency for Jurickson Profar. Only this time, Profar will hit free agency as an All-Star -- a proven middle-of-the-order threat, coming off the best season of his career.

He still hopes he ends up in the same place.

"I'm a free agent now," Profar said, amid the sting of the Padres' exit in the National League Division Series Friday night. "But I want to be here. This team, I think they have all the things to win a World Series. Mike Shildt built a beautiful thing here. Hopefully I'm part of it."

For years, the Profar-Padres match has been a perfect one. He's spent parts of five seasons with San Diego, in which he's posted a .753 OPS. In 2024, Profar set a career high with an .839 mark.

In parts of seven seasons with other teams, Profar has come nowhere close to those heights. He's also been an integral part of three playoff teams in San Diego. (The Padres will also tell you it's no coincidence they started winning late in their disastrous 2023 season after they claimed Profar, following his early-season struggles with the Rockies.)

Profar's all-out playing style and his effect on the Padres’ clubhouse is a major part of the reason he’s become so beloved in San Diego. That feeling is clearly mutual.

"Yes, I feel [the love]," Profar said. "I feel terrible that we let those people down. I want to win something. I want to win a World Series for San Diego. But free agency is … you never know. I've learned that the last two years."

Indeed, two years ago, Profar turned down a player option to re-sign with the Padres. The market was relatively unkind. He ended up signing a $7.75 million contract with the Rockies, where he struggled.

Last season, with few offers, Profar signed an incentive-laden one-year deal with San Diego, worth $1 million. The Padres planned to use him as a bench piece, and Profar knew it. In July, he acknowledged: "I signed for only $1 million -- that's not a starting player's salary."

Presumably, Profar will be looking for a significant raise, coming off a season in which he posted a .280/.380/.459 slash line with 24 home runs. The Padres don't have an obvious replacement in left field.

Once again, the fit seems obvious -- especially considering the way Profar is revered in the San Diego clubhouse.

"I don't know that I could imagine any situation without Pro," said center fielder Jackson Merrill. "That dude is one of a kind. I wish the best to him. I want him back. ... Wherever he goes, or if he stays with us, I just want him to have a great time playing baseball. He deserves that."

Profar finished the year in a bit of a slump, then struggled in the postseason, hitting just .200 without an extra-base hit. In the aftermath of Friday’s loss, he lamented that fact.

“I just like to win,” Profar said. “I totally feel like I needed to do more these playoffs. But that's how baseball goes. I'm going to work triple for next year.”

Maybe for the Padres. Maybe for someone else. He’d prefer it be the former.

“But it's not totally in my hands,” Profar said. “They've got to want me, too.”

Arraez’s offseason
Luis Arraez will get another MRI on the left thumb that bothered him for most of the summer. It’s unclear what the next step would be if that MRI revealed damage, but Arraez says he’s hopeful it won’t.

“I’ll be more strong next year,” Arraez said. “I’ll come back healthy.”

Arraez was traded in both 2023 and ’24 -- and became the first player to win three consecutive batting titles with three different teams. The Padres have made it clear it won’t be four in four.

Arraez said he’s looking forward to that stability -- and even seemed to hint at the possibility of an extension.

“It means a lot of good things,” Arraez said. “If they want to sign me, I want to stay here. This is business. I understand the business. But I hope I stay here for a long time.”

Higashioka reunion?
Along with Profar, the Padres’ most notable pending free agents are lefty reliever Tanner Scott, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Higashioka is coming off a career-year with San Diego as well, and the Padres don’t have an obvious starting catcher for 2025. Eventually that job will belong to top prospect Ethan Salas, but it seems reasonable that a 34-year-old Higashioka could fit as a bridge to the 18-year-old Salas.

“I think every day you wake up in San Diego and you get to go to Petco Park in front of a full house, it makes you feel grateful for what this team has,” Higashioka said. “It’s not only a great team but an incredible fanbase. For me, it’s just a blessing to be here, with this team. I’ve loved it.”