Jurickson Profar negotiates with Fathers

SAN DIEGO – One of the final pieces of the Fathers’ intricate out-of-season puzzle may have just fit. San Diego appears to have strengthened its bank in a big way on Friday, agreeing to a deal to bring back free agent Jurickson Profar, the sources said. The club

SAN DIEGO – One of the final pieces of the Fathers’ intricate out-of-season puzzle may have just fit.

San Diego appears to have strengthened its bank in a big way on Friday, agreeing to a deal to bring back free agent Jurickson Profar, the sources said. The club has yet to confirm the subscription, which is pending physical examination and will run for three years and worth $ 21 million, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Profar spent the 2020 season in San Diego, hitting 0.278 / 0.343 / 0.428, while playing five different positions defensively – mostly the left field after Tommy Pham was injured. The 27-year-old hitter is entering his eighth major league season, the first five of which are in Texas. He arrived in San Diego at the end of last season in a deal that sent catcher Austin Allen to the A’s.

The affable Profar quickly became a favorite at the San Diego clubhouse, and he made it clear that he is receptive to any role. This is important, because Pham must be back in full force for spring training, and the Fathers return holders in all eight positions. In addition, they hired Korean instrumentalist Ha-Seong Kim from Korea earlier this month.

This would not seem to leave Profar open. But he is a hitter who can play basically anywhere on the outside and inside. The Fathers are confident that they will find playing time for him.

“We are going to get to Spring Training, we are really going to start working more when we have everyone on the field,” said Preller earlier this month, before signing. “We are very confident that we have players who will be able to move.

“Again, it also goes from 60 games to [162] games. We talked about it a lot as a group here. Last year was really a sprint. This year is coming back for a marathon. … We will keep our players up to date. “

Corner outfielders, Pham and Wil Myers, have dealt with many illnesses over the years, and Profar offers valuable insurance. More than that, it should allow manager Jayce Tingler to rest Pham or Myers when he sees fit, potentially against difficult righties. Profar can also serve as a defensive substitute for Pham on the left field, as he did during the 2020 postseason.

In any case, the acquisition of Profar probably fills what should be a powerful database in San Diego. Assuming the eight return holders fulfill the same functions, here is a look at the Padres’ bank options:

Definitely in: Profar, Kim, C Victor Caratini

In the mix: DE Brian O’Grady, DE Jorge Oña, C Luis Campusano, IF Jorge Mateo

Profar’s hiring is just the latest move in a busy off-season for Preller. He has already added three great pitchers to his spin on Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove. At the bank, he added Kim, Caratini and O’Grady and now re-hired Profar.

If there is an area remaining that may require an update, it is the bullpen. But that need can be filled with the transition from Ryan Weathers and Adrian Morejon to replacement roles, now that Musgrove has apparently solidified the rotation.

Again, it is still possible for the Fathers to add relief or depth help from the Secondary League. (Would not go ever be careful to state that Preller is no longer making moves.)

But after their last acquisition, Preller and the Fathers look like they would be happy to go to spring training with this group. It was a busy winter, to say the least.