SF Giants: Is Jurickson Profar the team should look into signing before Opening Day?

Every few free agency cycles, there's a straggler that is left which seems to make no sense as to how that player is unsigned. This year, it is Jurickson Profar and the SF Giants should find a way to add the versatile glove before Opening Day.

SF Giants: Is Jurickson Profar the team should look into signing before Opening Day?

Profar remains on the market well into March and it makes no sense to me.

It’s for that reason Profar would make a lot of sense for the SF Giants to swoop in and add him to the roster as Spring Training winds down. As of now, the switch hitter is representing his country playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic and putting on a good showing. Oddly enough, he’s wearing Giants’ colors while doing so. 

Alright, let’s actually take a deeper dive into Profar and why the 30-year-old makes sense for the Giants. The first and most obvious part is that he is a switch hitter that can play in the infield and outfield while also being a leadoff hitter in the lineup. Last season as the leadoff hitter for the San Diego Padres, Profar had a career year as he hit .243/.331/.722 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. He was a table setter for the Padres' best bats and is capable of doing it again. But Profar has been great at playing every day as well, which is a nice trait to have as a Major League player. 

Beyond last year, Profar has been a bit of a hit-or-miss type of player with the bat who had never hit as well as he did in 2022. That’s why it would be fair to expect a bit of regression this season. 

As far as finding a place for Profar to slot into the lineup, that should be no issue. He can play second base, shortstop, first base, and in the outfield. This makes him a great insurance policy should anything happen to starters Brandon Crawford, Thairo Estrada, Joc Pederson, Mitch Haniger, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Michael Conforto. He would be the best super sub should an injury happen. But another thing to think about is the fact that Wade Jr. would suddenly become very expendable. This is a make-or-break season for him and Mike Yastrzesmki, so it makes way too much sense to bring in a very serviceable Profar. 

However, there is one question that hasn’t been answered and is a big ole ball of wax to get into. He’s a good player who was once a top prospect and coming off a good year. So why is he still available? According to this article from Fangraphs, it appears he is simply good but not great at anything. It would make sense that he could be asking too much as well. He had been linked with the Orioles this offseason per CBS Sports.  

That’s certainly a lot to take in. Profar brings a lot to the table as we’ve seen. He could very well be overpriced for what he is. But the Giants need to sign him so they have a bit of insurance and even more depth this year. Maybe I’m saying this because he’s a good player, but he also was a huge help to me in fantasy baseball as well. What should the Giants do in regard to Profar?