Braves’ Offseason Gamble Backfires
The Braves’ 2025 campaign has spiraled into disaster and fans are starting to point fingers. At 47-65 and 17.5 games back in the NL East, even a Wild Card spot feels like a fantasy. Injuries have played a part, especially on the mound, but the blame doesn’t end there. One offseason decision by GM Alex Anthopoulos may have doomed the team before the season even began.
Toward the end of winter, the Braves signed Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal. It was supposed to bolster their offense and add depth to the lineup. Instead, it’s turned into a costly misfire. Profar, who was an All-Star in 2024 with the Padres, was suspended 80 games for PED use and hasn’t bounced back since his return.
His numbers? A disappointing .237/.320/.397 with just four homers, 12 RBI, and a -0.2 WAR. That’s a far cry from the .839 OPS and 24 home runs he put up last year. And it’s fair to wonder if PEDs were masking a decline the Braves didn’t see coming.
Fans Question Leadership
Anthopoulos has been hailed as one of the smartest minds in MLB, but this move? It might go down as one of his worst. With limited offseason moves and Profar’s bust of a season, the Braves were left exposed. And they’ve paid the price.
Could Profar rebound in 2026? Possibly. The talent is still there, but so far, this contract feels like an anchor. As the season winds down, the best Atlanta can hope for is to play spoiler. But for a team used to contending, that’s cold comfort.
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