‘Glue guy’ sticks with Padres: Jurickson Profar agrees to 1-year, $1-million deal with club

The Padres have made a familiar move to address a desperate need.

Outfielder Jurickson Profar has returned.

Profar, who played for the Padres from 2020-22 and again for the final month of last season, has agreed to a one-year, $1-million deal.

“Just a tremendous teammate, good player, veteran guy, experienced,” manager Mike Shildt said.

Profar began his career as a shortstop and has played every infield position.

“The good news about ‘Pro’ is he can clearly start,” Shildt said. “Relative to where (the roster is) now, there’s at-bats for him to have. This is an opportunity for him to start, be matchup-based being a switch hitter and balancing the rest of the club. But … he’ll move around a little bit. He’s versatile.”

Profar, who can earn as much as $1.5 million more in incentives, becomes the third outfielder on the Padres’ 40-man roster.

The 30-year-old 10-year veteran is a favorite of teammates and management. He was also affordable, which the Padres were looking for as they seek to fill out spots on a 40-man roster that currently has 37 players without spending much more before the start of the season.

Of the 10 outfielders now expected in camp, six have MLB experience. And outside of Profar, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Azócar, the other three players have played a total of 410 major league games.

Jackson Merrill (1) rounds third at Peoria Sports Complex last March.

(Caitlin O’Hara/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Padres plan to use Jackson Merrill in the outfield as well as at his natural position of shortstop during the spring and in the minor leagues. Merrill, 20, is the Padres’ second-ranked prospect.

“He’s versatile,” Shildt said of Merrill, who played five games in left field in Double-A last year. “ … We do want to kind of read the tea leaves and get him in the outfield and let him see what that looks like.”

Merrill and No.13 prospect Jakob Marsee, a 22-year-old outfielder who is also in camp, are not being counted on to be with the team out of camp but are projected to make their big-league debuts in 2024.

So the Padres likely have at least one more outfielder to add, along with the starting pitching they seek. And they intend to do this while spending no more than another $20 million or so, as they seek to keep their opening-day payroll around (most likely below) $190 million and avoid a fourth straight year of exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold.

Jurickson Profar, right, laughs during batting practice before a 2022 NLCS game.

(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The switch-hitting Profar hit a combined .246/.334/.376 with 27 home runs and 123 RBIs over his time with the Padres and was a major contributor to their two most recent playoff seasons.

He signed as a free agent with the Rockies before the 2023 season but was designated for assignment at the end of August after batting .236/.316./.364 in 472 plate appearances (111 games). He subsequently signed with the Padres and batted .295/.367/.409 in 49 plate appearances (14 games).

The Padres went 16-5 with Profar on the team, including 7-3 in games he started. That may have been at least somewhat coincidental, as virtually the entire team hit better and the Padres’ September opponents were generally weak. But Profar’s perpetual energy is cherished. He is a close friend of Tatis and is widely adored in the clubhouse.

Profar spoke to several teammates via phone Monday morning.

“He’s kind of like the glue guy,” Jake Cronenworth said. “He speaks four languages, so he can talk to everybody. He’s great. I mean, his personality, his attitude when he shows up to the field every day, his work ethic and just the way he plays the game. Everybody has seen it. He plays his ass off.”