With the Philadelphia Phillies' season officially in the books, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton will turn their attention to free agency where the team will have a lot of difficult decisions to make about the future of the franchise.
The Phillies figure to prioritize trying to retain their core contributors such as Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suárez, and others who will hit the open market. However, there's another player who has already expressed a desire to return to Philadelphia next year.
Max Kepler, who is scheduled to become a free agent for the second year in a row, told reporters that he would love to return to the Phillies, per Phillies Nation's Destiny Lugardo, and don the red pinstripes again in 2026 following an up-and-down 2025 season in Philadelphia.
Max Kepler would love to return to the Phillies in free agency
Kepler, 32, inked a one-year, $10 million deal last offseason with the Phillies and was immediately penciled in as the starting left fielder following the departure of Austin Hays in free agency. Expectations were high for Kepler following a red-hot spring training in Clearwater but his regular season performance left much to be desired to say the least.
In 127 games, Kepler hit .216 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 417 at-bats. While his performance improved slightly in the second half (.228 average with eight home runs in 42 games), he ultimately did not become the solution in left field that the front office expected him to be when they signed him.
"Yeah, I’d love to be back," Kepler said following the Phillies' elimination from the playoffs, per Lugardo. "It’s for (the front office to decide), you know. I really didn’t know what free agency would entail going into this year or signing up with the Phils.
"But having experienced this whole year with this group of guys has probably been at the very top of my career, just from the memories that I created with them. I have so many to break down and process. But just a great group of guys. Such a variety of characters that really moved me in a lot of different ways. If it were up to me, I’d be back."
After a tumultuous year Phillies fans will not want to see Max Kepler back next season
Kepler‘s recent remarks are a big change in tone from his comments earlier in the season when he expressed disappointment with his role.
In June, Kepler told reporters that he felt misled by the Phillies in free agency, per MLB.com's Paul Casella and blamed not playing regularly on his struggles.
"I think I play my best game when I'm getting routine and consistent playing time," Kepler said, per Casella. "I've always gone through my ruts and I've gone through my hot streaks -- some might say I'm a streaky hitter. But the hardest thing to do in this game, for me, is go out and play with inconsistent opportunities."
He went on to add that he was told he was going to be the starting left fielder which undoubtedly played a big role in his decision to come to Philadelphia in the first place. These comments drew the ire of Phillies fans, many of whom called on the organization to part ways with him due to his inconsistency at the plate.
Ultimately, Kepler stayed with the club the rest of the way and played his way into a starting role in the postseason, where he was one of few bright spots at the plate in the Phillies' loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In four games, he scored three runs and gave the offense a spark with a double, a triple and three walks.
Despite Kepler’s desire to return to the club in 2026, it appears unlikely that he will be a priority for the Phillies as they turn their attention to other players. With the club already maintaining a high payroll as it is, there will certainly be a lot of changes coming which could leave Kepler as one of the odd men out after just one season in Philadelphia.