If Not Soler, Then Who? Atlanta’s Options After the Jurickson Profar Suspension

Looking at late-spring free agents, opt-out candidates, and trade possibilities to replace Profar’s bat.

(This column is Braves Today’s new running series focused on roster construction — evaluating trade targets, internal options, lineup usage, and the cost-benefit math behind potential moves. These are shorter, focused breakdowns built around one question at a time.)

(Also, there’s a debate about what this should be called - two premium subscribers have given suggestions, and we need to figure it out. Vote down below, and we’ll go with the wisdom of the people.)

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The Atlanta Braves have lost a key piece of their offense with Jurickson Profar suspended for PEDs for the entirety of the 2026 season.

A previous edition of this column floated the idea of the Braves trading for Angels outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler. But if Atlanta chooses to look elsewhere, what other directions could they find an answer? Let’s talk about it.

What’s the goal here?

FanGraphs had Profar predicted for a .252/.346/.406 line, good for a 112 wRC+, with 14 homers, 64 runs, and 56 RBI. He would have been the primary designated hitter against righties and the leftfielder against left-handed pitching, replacing Mike Yastrzemski roughly once every four days in left field.

Atlanta’s current roster options, as of now, look to be Dominic Smith as the DH against right-handed pitching (100 wRC+ last year, 104 wRC+ over the last three years) and Kyle Farmer versus lefties (101 wRC+ last year, 109 wRC+ over the last three years).

Not bad, but not quite the caliber of Profar. The veteran had a better expected walk rate (11.4%) than either Farmer (7.9%) or Smith (8.3%) over the last three years and would have been a catalyst for the new-look offense under hitting coach Tim Hyers.

Rather than focusing strictly on someone who rakes against lefties, let’s see if we can find a good hitter overall, with lefty-bashing as a bonus.

XX(b) Free Agents to watch for

For those unaware, an XX(B) free agent is a MLB veteran with at least six years of service who finished the previous season either on a 26-man roster or the 60-day injured list. If they are on a minor league deal for this season, they’re given three opportunities to opt out of the deal and become a free agent: Five days before Opening Day, May 1, and June 1.

There are a few veterans that the Braves are likely monitoring for a late-spring add, if not a cash considerations trade.

The first is outfielder Michael Conforto. The longtime New York Met sat out 2022 with an ill-timed shoulder injury and has since struggled to re-establish himself as an MLB regular. In camp with the Cubs, Conforto has a 110 wRC+ against lefties over the last three seasons while holding his own at a slightly below-average 95 wRC+ against right-handers.

The next is outfielder Austin Slater. In camp with the Detroit Tigers, the longtime teammate of Mike Yastrzemski has been an 88 wRC+ hitter over the last three seasons, but was league-average versus lefties last year (100 wRC+) and is at least passable in the corner outfield.

The last is utilityman Dylan Moore. The longtime Mariner has a 100 wRC+ over the last three seasons, but a 107 wRC+ against lefties over that same span. Currently fighting for a spot in the Phillies' camp, the one-time Atlanta Brave has experience at every defensive position except catcher and won the 2024 AL Gold Glove for utility players.¹

Trade candidates (other than Soler)

Let’s talk about Ryan Mountcastle.

The corner outfielder turned first baseman is blocked by Pete Alonso at first base and by top prospect Samuel Basallo at designated hitter, making him a likely trade candidate. His agents wisely refused to take the slugger to arbitration, instead choosing to settle with the club so that his $6.787M salary for 2026 is fully guaranteed now, versus his guarantee not kicking in until Opening Day were he to win or lose an arbitration hearing.

While 2025 was a struggle, with a severe hamstring strain sending him to the 60-day IL and limiting the righthander to 89 games, he’s a 103 wRC+ bat over the last three seasons who has a 139 wRC+ against left-handed pitching over that same span. While he hasn’t been asked to even stand in the outfield since 2021, he does have nearly 350 innings in the grass in his career and graded out as a slightly above-average runner in 2024, before his hamstring injury.

I’d still prefer to let Eli White, one of the fastest players in baseball and someone with surprisingly good batted-ball numbers against lefties, get first crack at the defensive duties while Mountcastle manned designated hitter and served as Matt Olson’s Maytag repairman.

Looking past Mountcastle, the dream trade acquisition from the Minnesota Twins would be Byron Buxton, a Georgia native from nearby Baxley. But with a farm system full of high-minors outfield prospects, would the Twins be interested in moving lefties Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner? Both walked an above-average amount last year and played capable corner outfields, albeit with higher strikeout totals that the Braves have tried to move on from in recent seasons.

The Verdict

Replacing Jurickson Profar is both simple and complicated, because it depends on whether you’re trying to do it with one player or two. I imagine that they’ll give the first shot to internal options, pushing them into unfamiliar situations to see how they respond. Mike Yastrzemski had three at-bats against left-handed pitching yesterday, while Dominic Smith played the entire contest as designated hitter, scoring twice and driving in two with a massive homer.

But the Braves have a few weeks to decide whether they want to replace the Smith/Farmer DH platoon with a single player. They could even get creative here - if Jorge Mateo gets a bit more consistent at the plate, the Braves could send Mauricio Dubón to left field versus left-handed pitching and let Mateo man shortstop for a night.

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That’s the question in front of the Braves.
If the right move is there, they’ll make it. If not, they’ll trust the depth. Either way, we’ll be tracking it.

1. Moore’s win was the only thing that stopped current Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón from winning three straight, as Dubón won in both 2023 and 2025.