Philadelphia Phillies finalize a one-year, $10 million deal, with top talented player to take on the role of the team’s starting left fielder.
The top star who has played his entire 10-season career with the Minnesota Twins, has appeared in 1,072 games, posting a .237 batting average, 161 home runs, and 508 RBIs.
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, stated that the team plans to give Kepler a regular spot in left field.
“We think he can,” Dombrowski said.
He struggled in the 2024 season, hitting just eight home runs and driving in 42 RBIs, largely due to injuries. Dombrowski clarified that he underwent core surgery to address a sports hernia during the offseason, and also dealt with left knee tendinitis, which limited him to only 105 games.
“Max was very careful. He said, ‘I don’t want to make any excuses,’” Dombrowski said. “It does affect you. It just does. You try to play through it but it’s not easy. It’s a tough (injury) to play through.”
In his six career games at Citizens Bank Park, he has impressed, hitting four home runs and posting a .955 slugging percentage over 23 plate appearances. The Twins originally signed Kepler as a teenager from Germany.
With Kepler now slated for left field, the Phillies plan to keep Nick Castellanos in right field, while continuing to deploy Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in center field.
“We think it’s easier to just leave Nick in right field. Let him play out there,” Dombrowski said. “We think Max will make that adjustment very comfortably and he’s willing to do so.”
The Phillies have been relatively quiet this offseason following their NL East title and a loss to the Mets in the NL Division Series. Their only other significant acquisition was closer Jordan Romano, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal.
Romano, an All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, spent his first six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has accumulated 105 saves and boasts a 2.90 ERA over 231 relief appearances.
With one of the highest payrolls in baseball, Dombrowski noted that the team may not make any more major moves ahead of the upcoming season.
“I would be surprised if we got into impactful free-agent type-of signings from an offensive perspective,” Dombrowski said. “I don’t want to say it’s a tight payroll.
From an ownership standpoint, Dombrowski shared that he’s never encountered resistance from John Middleton when seeking approval for a move. However, he emphasized the need to maintain perspective, especially with the team’s payroll now exceeding $300 million, as each new signing incurs a significant penalty.
Looking ahead, Dombrowski noted that the Phillies are still interested in adding a potential fifth starter, ideally someone who could also contribute out of the bullpen.
“We’ll keep our mind open,” Dombrowski said.
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