The Philadelphia Phillies finally gave their fans something to cheer about on Thursday night. After radio silence since signing closer Jordan Romano at the Winter Meetings, news broke that the Phillies are signing free agent outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year contract, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and Mark Feinsand.
The agreement is pending a physical, according to Zolecki. ESPN’s Jeff Passan added that Kepler’s deal is for $10 million, according to his sources.
Sources telling @feinsand and me that the #Phillies and OF Max Kepler are working on a one-year deal, pending a physical. Kepler, 31, has spent entire 10-year career with the Twins.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) December 20, 2024
Phillies sign 10-year veteran outfielder Max Kepler due for rebound in 2025
The move isn't the big, flashy splash many Phillies fans had been waiting for since watching their team leave the postseason with a whimper two months ago, but the addition of Kepler is another under-the-radar signing that could pay big dividends in 2025. Earlier this month, we wrote about Kepler being a bounce-back candidate the Phillies should keep an eye on.
Kepler, 31, had previously spent his entire MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, playing right and center field. No doubt the Phillies will look to deploy him in left and possibly center field next season. As MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan points out, Kepler is a plus defender, leading all right fielders with 27 outs above average over the past four years.
A left-handed hitter, Kepler battled injuries and only played 105 games for the Twins in 2024, hitting .253 with a .682 OPS, eight home runs, 21 doubles and 42 RBI. He dealt with issues that included a bruised right knee, neck spasms, a sore elbow and patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
Before his down 2024 season, Kepler, who was born in Germany, had a career .753 OPS through the first nine seasons of his MLB career. He has a good approach at the plate, posting a 10.1 percent walk rate and an 18.4 percent strikeout rate before 2024.
In 130 games in 2023, he hit .260 with an .816 OPS, 24 homers, 66 RBI. His best offensive season came in 2019 when he hit 36 long balls and drove in 90 RBI — a season no doubt aided by the peak of the juiced ball era.
He has a career .237 batting average and .746 OPS with a 162-game average of 24 homers, 31 doubles and 77 RBI.