Reds dodged huge bullet after All-Star outfielder popped with 80-game PED suspension

Sometimes it's the deals you don't make. Many Cincinnati Reds fans had hoped to see their favorite team sign a premium player in free agency this past offseason, but Nick Krall and Co. settled for a one-year deal with Austin Hays.

One of the names who was thought to be on Cincinnati's radar, however, was former San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar. Coming off an All-Star campaign in 2024, Profar was seen as one of the top outfield bats available in free agency. ESPN's Buster Olney even mentioned the 31-year-old as a possible target for Cincy this winter.

Profar eventually landed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, but the veteran is in some hot water after only suited up for a handful of games this season. Profar was cited for using performance enhancing drugs, and will now be suspended for the next 80 games.

Reds dodged huge bullet after All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar popped with PED suspension

Unlike Noelvi Marte, who missed 80 games last season after testing positive for Boldenone during spring training, Profar was popped for using chorionic gonadotropin. But just like Marte, Profar will now miss half of the season and be ineligible for the playoffs if the Braves make a run at the MLB Postseason — something that now appears to be much more unlikely.

Profar's absence will only add to the Braves' misery. Atlanta was swept right out of San Diego by Profar's former team, and were then walloped on Monday night by the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves will send Cy Young Award-winner Chris Sale to the mound tonight in search of the team's first win of the 2025 season.

Many Reds fans wanted to see Cincinnati's front office aggressively pursue a free agent upgrade for the outfield. However, it quickly became clear that the Reds' spent big to retain Nick Martinez, and the Hays' $4 million contract was the most thrifty Bob Castellini and the ownership group were willing to fritter away.

Though Cincinnati could still use an upgrade in the outfield, it's a good thing the team didn't fork over $42 million in order to bring Profar into the fold. If the Reds are still looking for an upgrade, however, their best option is currently residing on the South Side of Chicago.

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