Jurickson Profar’s PED suspension sparks bold proposal from ex-Royals star to remove drug abuse in MLB
Jurickson Profar’s recent 80-game suspension for testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball.
This comes after Profar had a career year in 2024, hitting 24 home runs, and signing a three-year, $42 million deal in free agency with the Atlanta Braves. PED use has always been a hot topic in MLB circuit, and Profar became the latest entrant.
Former Kansas City Royals star has a bold proposal to counter the PED usage problem in MLB. Eric Hosmer discussed Profar and his latest suspension on Thursday's episode of "Diggin' Deep" podcast. Here's what he thinks.
"Yes, what he did is wrong," Hosmer said (5:46 onwards). "And leading into that, Pete, Moose, I think the only way that this game gets cleaned up and these guys don’t risk an 80-game suspension for another couple of years on the back end is to take away guaranteed money. I don’t care if you sign for guaranteed money—whatever the rest of the contract is from this point on, you have to take it away.
"Because it has been proven that guys who sign long-term deals—10 years, five years, whatever it is—that doesn’t stop them from taking this risk. But if you tell me that I have $110 million on the line for these next three years, and I can possibly lose that, I’m not even thinking about it. So for me, I think that’s the only way to clean up the game."
How much does Jurickson Profar stand to lose if MLB takes Eric Hosmer's advice?
In such a hypothetical scenario, if MLB takes Eric Hosmer's advice of stripping away players of their guaranteed money from their contract, Profar's $42 million signing would be completely at risk. He stands to lose it all or for the period for which he's suspended.
Profar’s current contract ensures he will receive the full $42 million, regardless of performance or injury status. Under the current structure:
- 2025: $12,000,000
- 2026: $15,000,000
- 2027: $15,000,000
If MLB adopted a non-guaranteed structure similar to the NFL, where teams can cut players with minimal financial obligation, Profar’s financial outlook would depend entirely on his on-field performance and team decisions.
If he suffers injuries or experiences a decline in production, Atlanta could release him without paying out the remaining balance.
In a worst-case scenario, if he were cut after one season, he would lose $30 million ($15 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027).
Even if a partial guarantee system were implemented, he could still lose millions in salary protections that players currently enjoy.
For now, Profar would lose $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary, and reportedly won't be able to play until June 29 and will also can't play the postseason.