I don’t think it’s outlandish to think that the starting second baseman for the San Diego Padres isn’t even on the roster yet. The team acquired Jurickson Profar early in the offseason, but the front office seems concerned about his defensive abilities. The 27-year-old committed 13 errors at the position last season with the Oakland Athletics, but just one the year before with the Texas Rangers.
2018 was also a breakout season, in what seemed like a decade in the making, for Profar – slashing .254/.335/.458 with 20 home runs and 77 RBI (107 OPS+). Could the Athletics defensive shifts have played a role in Profar’s mistakes?