Ex-Padres $48 Million All-Star Loosely Linked To Royals To Fix 'Roster Hole'

Will the Royals make this splashy signing?

Oct 9, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (10) singles in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have such an obvious roster hole that it's slightly alarming that a solution hasn't yet materialized.

The outfield was abysmal for the Royals last season, particularly in the corners. MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe, the two most frequent starters in left and right, put up -0.9 and 0.0 WAR, respectively.

Though Melendez and Renfroe are both returning to the roster, the Royals know they can't allow both to start the vast majority of their games again. Finding someone who can carry their weight offensively at a traditionally offense-first position has to be at the top of the priority list.

Eno Sarris of The Athletic recently examined the biggest "roster holes" among contenders and found that the Royals' corner outfield had the second-fewest projected WAR of any returning playoff team, ahead only the Philadelphia Phillies.

To address that roster hole, Sarris floated former San Diego Padres All-Star Jurickson Profar as a potential solution. Profar, who is projected by The Athletic for a three-year, $48 million contract, just had his best season as a professional after struggling for years to establish himself as a starter.

"Right field is where the upgrade needs to be," Sarris wrote. "Jurickson Profar’s power is less assured (than Anthony Santander's), but he might be cheaper and add a couple of wins to the Royals’ projection (which would vault them to just outside the top 10 in the league)."

In 2024, Profar was worth 3.6 WAR thanks in large part to his .839 OPS, which was 113 points higher than his career average. In his six seasons in the American League prior to his first Padres stint, Profar had just 1.9 WAR and a .709 OPS.

Last season's version of Profar would make the Royals a much better team--if they're willing to consider paying for him and banking on that production to continue. But with a small-market team like Kansas City, that's always a risky proposition.

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