Jurickson Profar opens up on relationship with Ozzie Albies after $42,000,000 Braves move

The Atlanta Braves addressed their hitting depth by signing veteran outfielder Jurickson Profar on Thursday. Profar, who revitalized his MLB career with the San Diego Padres in 2024, signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves.

Profar, a Curacao native, has played for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies and Padres since making his MLB debut in 2012. However, playing for the Braves would be a special feeling for the All-Star outfielder who grew up watching his countryman and Braves legend Andruw Jones.

"Like I said, they were the first team I started following because of Andruw Jones. Every Wednesday, they were putting the Braves games on TV in Curacao,” Profar said (0:10 onwards).“So, every Wednesday at 7 o’clock, I was in front of the TV to watch Andruw Jones and the Braves.”

The former Padres outfielder also has countrymen Ronald Acuna Jr. And Ozzie Albies on his new team. Profar touched on his relationship with Albies, someone he has watched since his minor league days.

"I’m older than him, so I saw him playing with his (junior) team here in Curaçao,” said Profar. “And I always thought that he was going to be a real, real good player. He was that (small) size, but he had lightning in his bat.

"We are friends. We used to hit together every offseason. But I think now he spends more time in Atlanta. So the last couple of years, we didn’t work out together. But since he was in the minor leagues, we’d work out together in the offseason.”

Contrary to Profar, who struggled to live up to his reputation in the early part of his MLB career, Ozzie Albies already has three All-Star nods to his name to boot, along with a World Series ring with the Braves.

Jurickson Profar reveals his son's excitement after signing for Braves

Jurickson Profar said he learned about the Braves' interest in his free agency about three weeks ago, and a move to Atlanta was a no-brainer according to his son, Khairy.

“I’m very excited, but no one is more excited than my 7-year-old son [Khairy],” Profar said. “I told him the Braves were interested and he was like, ‘You gotta go there. You gotta go there. What are you waiting for?’”

Profar had a career-best season with the Padres in 2024, helping the team to the NLDS where they were edged out by the Dodgers.

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos believes Profar was the best free-agent bat available in the market behind Juan Soto and expects him to replicate the form he showed last year.