3 offseason NY Mets rumors we should be glad didn't come true

3) Jurickson Profar

The Mets expressed interest in former number one prospect and 2024 All-Star Jurickson Profar before he ended up signing with the Atlanta Braves. Profar could have been the Mets' left fielder, pushing Brandon Nimmo to center field, but some speculated that Profar could be an outside-the-box alternative to Pete Alonso at first base.

After all, Profar was coming off the best year of his career with his 2024 campaign with the San Diego Padres. He batted .280/.380/.459 with a .365 wOBA, and 139 wRC+ in 668 plate appearances. Profar hit a career high of 24 home runs while having an .179 isolated slugging percentage. His 15.1% K% was the best he's put up in a single season, and his 11.4% walk rate was also one of the best marks he's had.

Profar hit for more power than he ever had before. His 91.1 MPH exit velocity trumped his previous career high of 87.3 MPH, set back in 2018. Heading into 2024, his barrel rate in the 2020s was just 3.6%. He only ever once had a barrel rate over 5%, but then suddenly posted a 7.2% rate.

The Braves inked Profar to a three-year contract worth $42 million. But his season was put on hold before it even had a real chance to begin. After just four games played, Profar was hit with an 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug. Even though he'll still play most of the second half of the year, Profar is already 32, and starting his new contract off with a PED suspension is far from a good start. Plus, imagine if the Mets truly went this route to replace Alonso, and how much trouble the Mets' lineup would be in.