Profar's suspension frees up millions, but the Braves face roster and draft pick considerations before spending.
The Atlanta Braves are sitting on roughly $18 million in freed-up cash after Jurickson Profar's 162-game suspension, but they may not be in a hurry to spend it.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic broke down the situation on Foul Territory, and his take was that the Braves are not going to change their financial approach just because of Profar's ban.
"I don't know if it changes anything for them financially," Rosenthal said when asked about the Braves adding through free agency.
"They were going to spend what they were going to spend, and the guys out there right now were only going to get a certain amount."
The Suspension and the Money
Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone, his second performance-enhancing drug violation in less than a year, and MLB handed him a full 162-game ban as a second-time offender.
His $15 million salary is off the books, and because the Braves were already above the luxury-tax threshold paying a 20 percent penalty on every dollar over, the total savings come out to around $18 million.
Rosenthal noted that the MLBPA plans to file a grievance and challenge the suspension, which adds uncertainty that makes it harder for Atlanta to act.
The ban went into effect right away since Profar is a second-time offender, but the grievance process could still take time, and until the Braves have full clarity they are likely to hold off on putting that money toward a big move.
Draft Picks Add Another Wrinkle
Even before the suspension, Rosenthal pointed out on Foul Territory that Atlanta had been cautious about signing free agents attached to qualifying offers because of the draft pick they would lose.
"The pick they would lose is No. 26 overall, that's kind of a high pick to lose, and they've been reluctant to do that," Rosenthal said.
He added that while the Braves would make that sacrifice for the right pitcher, a short-term deal with someone like Zac Gallen might not be enough to get them there.
Moving Forward in Camp
The Braves went 76-86 in 2025 and missed the playoffs, so this was supposed to be a bounce-back year with Profar holding down the DH spot.
Atlanta is also dealing with pitching injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, who both needed elbow surgery.
Despite all of that, the Braves are off to a 10-3-2 start in spring training and the clubhouse seems focused on what is ahead.
"Obviously, there's emotions," manager Walt Weiss said.
"We're all disappointed, but I'm not going to stand up in front of these guys and say this is how you should feel."
Spencer Strider added, "We can choose to acknowledge it, put it to bed and move on from it, or we can let it become an excuse."
With the appeal pending and the free agent market picked over, Rosenthal's read is that Atlanta will hold onto that money for now and could look to spend it at the trade deadline when better options open up.