ESPN: Phillies Officially Signed Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract:

Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports -  Newsweek

Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports

Max Kepler wasn’t expected to be the first power-hitting corner outfielder to fly off the free agent board after Juan Soto signed his 15-year, $765 million megadeal with the New York Mets.

While the Philadelphia Phillies certainly don’t view Kepler as a riposte to their division rival’s big move, signing Kepler to a one-year contract — as first reported by Todd Zolecki and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on Thursday — represents a low-risk signing on the free agent market that should boost the offensive output of their outfield.

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.

Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports -  Newsweek

Outfielder Max Kepler and the Philadlephia Philies are in agreement on a one-year, $10 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal, which is pending a physical, will give the Phillies a new corner outfielder in the 31-year-old Kepler. First on the scene:

Kepler, 31, is a career .237 hitter with 161 home runs and 508 RBIs in parts of 10 seasons (2015-24) with the Minnesota Twins.

Kepler hit a career-high 36 home runs with 90 RBIs in 2019 when he slashed .252/.336/.519 and collected downballot American League MVP votes. A left-handed hitter, Kepler’s production has cooled off since, as he shifted principally to a platoon role, rarely starting against left-handed pitching.

Kepler got 317 of his 399 plate appearances in 2024 against right-handed pitchers and finished with eight home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .253 average in 105 games. Ironically he performed slightly better against lefties in a small sample, with a .721 OPS compared to .672 against righties.

Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports -  Newsweek

In 2023, Kepler hit 24 homers and hit .260 in 130 games. His .816 OPS was among the better marks among American League outfielders. In a more hitter-friendly ballpark in 2025, he’ll look to rebound to his 2023 output.

The Twins signed Kepler to a five-year, $35 million contract prior to the 2019 season, with a team option for 2024. He hit the free-agent market for the first time at the conclusion of last season.

The Phillies already have a left-handed hitting outfielder in Brandon Marsh who slugged a modest .419 in 2014 and is known more for his speed and defense. Kepler has been essentially a league-average defender the last two seasons in right field, a position manned in Philadelphia by Nick Castellanos.

Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports -  Newsweek

Ostensibly Kepler gives manager Rob Thomson another option against right-handed pitchers, and could allow Marsh to play center field, where Johan Rojas had a measly .601 OPS last season — and is perhaps more valuable with his glove off the bench.

Born in Berlin to an American mother and a Polish father, Kepler is the first European-born player ever to hit three home runs in a single game. He was signed by the Twins’ former international scouting coordinator, Howard Norsetter, to a $775,000 bonus in July 2009.

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