Three weeks into February, Jurickson Profar didn’t have a Major League contract. Not a particularly unique predicament given the off-season’s market, but Profar’s situation was fundamentally different from the marquee free agents like Matt Chapman or Blake Snell.
There were no multi-year deals, player friendly clauses, or crooked number figures to debate over. The 31-year-old wasn’t wheelin’ and dealin’, shopping around his talents, or playing offers off each other. Profar’s phone remained silent all winter. It wasn’t until after pitchers and catchers reported to camp that A.J. Preller signed the switch-hitting veteran to a one-year, one-million dollar contract.