Padres' Decision To Not Panic After Trading Juan Soto Has Paid Off Well

When the San Diego Padres decided to send Juan Soto to New York this offseason, it wasn't time to panic. Even as they traded away one of the game's best players, the front office had a plan.

The plan was Jurickson Profar. They decided to sign the veteran to a cheap one-year, $1 million contract instead of going for a big name to replace Soto.

San Diego knew they would get production out of Profar, but nobody could have predicted the monster year he's having. TO this point, he's been the Padres' MVP this season, hitting .325 with 10 homers, 43 RBIs, and a .924 OPS.

Here's where Jurickson Profar ranks among MLB hitters:

.325 BA (2nd in MLB)

.418 OBP (3rd in MLB)

.914 OPS (10th in MLB)

42 RBI (5th in NL)

2.4 WAR (1st among NL outfielders) pic.twitter.com/7IC1whEvGY
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) June 8, 2024

Profar's production should get him the first All-Star nod of his 11-year career, which would bring his career full-circle: He spent seven seasons with the Texas Rangers and the Midsummer Classic is being played in Arlington.

"I don't care about the individual stuff," Profar told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. "I really don’t. But for my son? It would just mean everything."

Khairy Profar was born in Dallas in 2017.

"One of my dreams since he was born was to be at an All-Star Game," Profar said. "He loves baseball so much. He's always watching the Home Run Derby while I'm like, 'Nah, I don't want to watch baseball during the All-Star break.' But he wants to watch it. He's always talking about baseball. So that's why it would mean a lot."

Profar has the support of his teammates. If he is voted in as a starter, he would join an extremely exclusive list of Padres outfielders to start an All-Star Game. Only Tony Gwynn (nine times) and Dave Winfield (one time) are in that elite club.

"He totally deserves it, as simple as that," Fernando Tatis Jr. said. "The guy's been one of the best players in the game this year. He has been the best player for the Padres so far.

"He definitely deserves to be an All-Star. The man has put the work in, and I'm just happy for him."