The Minnesota Twins said goodbye to Max Kepler last week as the 31-year-old signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Although he’s no longer in the organization, Kepler’s path to Philadelphia still has ties to the Twins as former general manager Terry Ryan’s recommendation helped Kepler secure a big payday.
Phillies general manager Doug Dombrowski told reporters on Friday that the team signed Kepler to add a player who can get the bat on the ball but was unsure of his spot defensively with Nick Castellanos in right field. When Dombrowski did some homework, he discovered that Kepler had played in left field during his minor league career and a call to Ryan assured him Kepler would be able to acclimate to his new position.
“He said he was an outstanding left fielder,” Dombrowski said. “We called Terry when we were thinking about signing him because he’s always spoken very highly of Max. He said makeup-wise, he’s great. Tremendous. We’ve actually tried to acquire him in the past without success. But he said…’I saw him play all three outfield positions and first base and he can play all of them very well.’”
Max Kepler solves a specific need for the Philadelphia Phillies
According to Baseball Savant, the Phillies had the fifth-highest chase rate in baseball at 30.3 percent and ranked 12th with a 25.9 percent chase rate last season. Kepler helps solve that problem with a 25.3 percent chase rate and 21 percent whiff rate in his career but his defensive position could be a storyline going forward.
Kepler played left field during his minor league career, but never played there during his 10 major league seasons. Kepler also played center field during the early years of his career but hasn’t played there since 2022 after refusing to do so according to The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman.
This also comes from a player who’s hit .238/.315/.409 with an average of 15 home runs and 51 RBI over the past four seasons. While Kepler battled injuries last year Dombrowski cited knee tendinitis and a core muscle injury that required surgery as reasons for his slump and is “ready to attack the new year.”
“He’s got some pop,” Dombrowski said. “Last year was down, but he does have some pop. He makes contact and doesn’t chase as much. He’s got a lot of the qualities in an offensive player that we’re looking to have.”
Minnesota Twins continue to look for a right-handed bat
While Kepler’s departure pulls at the heartstrings, it may be a blessing for the Twins. Matt Wallner is projected to replace Kepler in right field while Trevor Larnach is slated to begin the year in left field. While top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez are also in the pipeline, both are left-handed, leaving the need for a right-handed outfielder.
The Twins’ payroll concerns play a role here as the team looks to operate around $130 million next season. While there are some free agents that could fit, a trade seems more likely as the front office looks to improve their team in 2025.