Oakland Athletics create excellent depth with addition of Jurickson Profar

With a bit of question on a few positions in the infield, the Oakland Athletics made a great acquisition, picking up a positionally-flexible switch-hitter who just happened to be a former #1 overall prospect.

With Jed Lowrie receiving multiple overtures around the league, making his return to the bay less likely, and the news that Matt Chapman had shoulder surgery without a definite timeline for how he will be when the season begins, the Oakland Athletics picked up a player who allows them to add in depth at both positions by acquiring former elite prospect Jurickson Profar in a three-team trade with the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.

As the A’s announced the signing of Joakim Soria on Friday, they traded another member of their bullpen in Emilio Pagan to the Tampa Bay Rays as well as their competitive balance A selection in the 2019 draft, and the Rays and Rangers exchanged prospects. They send infielder Eli White and $750,000 in international slot money to the Texas Rangers. Their only return in the deal is Profar.

How the Oakland Athletics infield could look

Chapman’s surgery, like the thumb surgery he had earlier in the offseason, should end up being fully healed as he comes to spring training, but with the injury being to the lead shoulder in his swing, it could mean he at least needs some days off at the start of the season, and right now, the infielders that are in the Oakland Athletics system in depth at third base are not strong at the position in the way that Profar can be.

Profar also provides a switch-hitting bat that adds to the Oakland Athletics lineup that is badly needed. In the current projected lineup, only two hitters are left-handed, and Profar does add another bat from the left side against right-handed arms.

This also gives the Oakland Athletics more depth with their top prospects and easing them into the big leagues. Utility man Chad Pinder works well around the infield and outfield, but he’s not exactly a starter at any position. However, top prospect Franklin Barreto and elite speedster Jorge Mateo are both at AAA and could ease into the big league club, as Pinder has options, and both could work up and down throughout the season up the middle as needed.

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What to expect from Profar

Profar was the consensus top prospect in the game before the 2013 season after being a consensus top 10 prospect in the game coming into the 2012 season. Shoulder injuries completely wrecked his prospect status, but he has battled back to reclaim his major league career, and at just 26 in February, he’s still young enough to really have a nice career in the major leagues.

In 2018, Profar hit .254/.335/.458 with 35 doubles, 6 triples, 20 home runs, and 10 stolen bases over 146 games and 594 plate appearances, putting up an impressive 54/88 BB/K ratio. He really struggled to get going in his season, but it seemed when he returned home to Texas for a homestand starting in late May against the Yankees, Profar settled in at the plate, and from that point forward (May 21 to the end of the year), Profar hit .264/.348/.488 with 18 home runs and just a 40/63 BB/K ratio over 431 plate appearances.

A great line to look at would be what Bobby Bonilla from 1987-1993 at roughly the age that Profar is now, starting with Bonilla’s second full season. He hit .279/.356/.489 and averaged 33 doubles, 5 triples, and 24 home runs over those 7 seasons. I think the A’s would be overjoyed with that line.

This deal seems like the Oakland Athletics giving up a lot for one player, but when you look at the level of depth and production that he could bring, Jurickson Profar is the type of player that could be the piece that keeps the A’s competitive for a number of years into the future.