Max Kepler and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a one-year contract worth $10 million on Friday, with plans for him to become the team’s starting left fielder.
Kepler, who spent his entire 10-season career with the Minnesota Twins, has played 1,072 games, hitting .237 with 161 home runs and 508 RBIs.
Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, expressed confidence in giving Kepler the opportunity to play every day in left field, stating, “We think he can.”
Kepler had a challenging 2024 season, hitting only eight home runs and driving in 42 RBIs, mainly due to injuries. Dombrowski revealed that Kepler had core surgery in the offseason to address a sports hernia, which, along with left patellar tendinitis, limited him to just 105 games last year.
Dombrowski added, “Max was very careful. He said, ‘I don’t want to make any excuses,’ but it’s clear that those injuries impacted his performance. It’s difficult to play through such tough injuries.”
In six career games at Citizens Bank Park, Max Kepler has hit four home runs and recorded a .955 slugging percentage over 23 plate appearances. Kepler was originally signed by the Minnesota Twins as a teenager from Germany.
With Max Kepler now set to play left field, the Phillies will keep Nick Castellanos in right field and have Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in center.
“We think it’s simpler to leave Nick in right field and let him stay there,” said Phillies president Dave Dombrowski. “We believe Max will adjust to left field comfortably, and he’s willing to do so.”
The Phillies have had a quiet offseason after winning the NL East but losing to the Mets in the NL Division Series. Their most notable move was signing closer Jordan Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million deal.
Romano, an All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA across 231 relief appearances.
With one of the largest payrolls in baseball, Dave Dombrowski suggests the Phillies may be finished making major moves heading into the new season.
“I’d be surprised if we made any significant free-agent signings for our offense,” Dombrowski said. “I don’t want to say our payroll is tight. From an ownership standpoint, I’ve never asked John Middleton for approval on something and been told no. But we still have to be mindful. We’re over $300 million, and every new signing brings a significant penalty.”
So, what’s next for the Phillies?
Dombrowski mentioned the team would like to add a potential fifth starter who could also be used in the bullpen, adding, “We’ll keep our options open.”
