San Diego Padres acquire Jurickson Profar in a trade with the Oakland A’s
A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres stay busy by acquiring Jurickson Profar in a trade with the Oakland Athletics ahead of the winter meetings.
While the rest of the hot stove has been cold, it has stayed warm in San Diego. The San Diego Padres have acquired infielder Jurickson Profar from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for 25-year-old catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named later.
The Curaçao native is coming off a disappointing season in his short tenure in Oakland. After a rather productive year in 2018 with the Rangers, the A’s made a move for him in the offseason. Serving as their primary second baseman, Profar failed to improve on his 2018 campaign. His batting average dipped from .254 to .218 alongside his wOBA, which fell 40 points to .301. His run production also took a hit, decreasing his wRC+ from 107 in 2018 to 89 in 2019.
Thus, the A’s are happy to have found a trade partner for Profar, who was likely to be non-tendered by the team before the December 2nd deadline. Austin Allen gives them a young catcher with power potential.
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This move comes less than a week after the Padres traded away the highly-touted 2B prospect Luis Urias and right-handed starter Eric Lauer to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Trent Grisham and starting pitcher Zach Davies. They also signed lefty veteran pitcher Drew Pomeranz to a four-year/$34 million deal the same day for his second stint in San Diego.
Profar is likely to fill the void at second base that the Urias was expected to take over in San Diego. The 22-year-old Urias was a top-25 prospect heading into 2019 and carries a lot of potential into Milwaukee.
However, the San Diego Padres are hoping they can get Profar to finally realize his full potential in San Diego. Profar was the number one overall prospect in 2012, according to MLB.com, but injuries and sub-par play have prevented him from transforming into the elite player many thought he would be at the major league level.
Still, Profar is only 26-years-old and possesses all the tools to become a high-quality major league player. His ability to play all over the field should grant him sufficient playing time to prove himself in San Diego. Hopefully, a change of scenery to a young, talented team will push Profar to finally realize his full potential.
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With the rest of the league coming to the Padres’ doorstep for the winter meetings, don’t be surprised if A.J Preller continues to stay busy throughout the month of December.