Why Braves should be eyeing Blue Jays depth in the wake of Profar's PED suspension

The Atlanta Braves' world was shaken this week, when they learned that outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire 2026 season due to a violation of the league's drug prevention and treatment program. It's the second year in a row that he's been caught using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), meaning he'll have to serve a 162-game suspension before being eligible to be reinstated.

That's a tough break for one of baseball's unluckiest teams over the last calendar year, and it surely won't be any easier to swallow as they await the returns of catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim from injury.

Luckily for Atlanta, the Toronto Blue Jays have depth to spare. It's a little late for the kind of blockbuster trade Braves fans may be hoping for, but there's certainly reason to believe something can come together quickly between both parties.

Blue Jays, Braves can together on Jurickson Profar replacement trade

While losing Profar ostensibly means the Braves are now down their starting left fielder, they did sign Mike Yastrzemski over the offseason. He can capably fill in there if needed. Their bigger need may just be offense in general; they lost their designated hitter (Marcell Ozuna) in free agency, leaving a slugger-sized hole in the middle of the lineup.

Unfortunately, the Blue Jays' best option to fill either hole, Anthony Santander, is off the table as he recovers from shoulder surgery. However, they more or less filled his starting outfield role with Jesús Sánchez, meaning their wealth of depth players are still (theoretically) available.

In the outfield, that could mean either Nathan Lukes or Myles Straw, with the former providing quality hitting (career 106 wRC+) and the latter serving as a sterling defender at all three outfield positions. Former top prospect Jonatan Clase is also on the 40-man roster, but he'd cost a prettier penny than the Braves can probably afford right now.

In terms of DH types, the most notable name is former Silver Slugger winner Eloy Jiménez, a non-roster invitee who is crushing spring training right now to the tune of a 183 wRC+. He won't cost a ton, but it'd be pretty savvy of the Blue Jays' front office to turn an NRI into a prospect or value of any kind after just a few weeks of exhibition games.

There are other names that could come up in discussions, but the Blue Jays aren't going to move mountains or detonate their roster in order to help out another team. Clearly, there's a fit to be had here, assuming the Braves are desperate enough to play ball.