Max Kepler shares free agency wish that will have Phillies fans conflicted originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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For the second straight year, the Philadelphia Phillies lost in the NLDS in four games, this time to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a rough end to the year, largely in part due to the offense struggling to get anything going in the playoffs.
With so many important free agents, like Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, Ranger Suarez, and Harrison Bader, a player like Max Kepler flies under the radar. He began the year terribly, but after the trade deadline, he turned things around and was a positive for the Phillies.
He’s a free agent, and in a piece from Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, Kepler shared a wish of his entering free agency. When asked if he was open to coming back, Kepler didn’t just express interest; he was very open to a reunion in free agency. This stance of Kepler’s will have both the Phillies and their fans conflicted, and for good reason.
Max Kepler is open to returning to the Phillies in free agency
“Yeah,” Kepler said, “I’d love to come back. It’s for (the front office to decide), you know. I really don’t know what free agency would entail going into this year or signing with the Phillies. But having experience 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.”
Kepler signed with the Phillies on a one-year, $10 million deal late in free agency ahead of the 2025 MLB season. While he tore it up in Spring training, he got off to a terrible start to the regular season.
He began the year with a .253 batting average and a .753 OPS through April, not great, but not terrible. But, from May first through the end of July, Kepler, in 67 games, hit just .181 with a .610 OPS.
By the time the trade deadline came around, Phillies fans were calling for Kepler to be traded, benched, or outright cut. But, with the deadline passing and only Harrison Bader being added, Kepler’s spot on the roster remained. And it was fortunate the Phillies made such a choice.
In Kepler’s next 33 games after the trade deadline, once he began platooning with Nick Castellanos in right field, Kepler hit .250 with a .791 OPS, much better and more akin to his career numbers.
What made this turnaround from Kepler so encouraging was that, earlier in the summer, a report came out that Kepler wasn’t happy with his playing time. Amid his struggles, it wasn’t a surprise that his complaint didn’t sit well with the fans.
More: Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto shuts down any free agency talk after loss vs. Dodgers
But, between his turnaround offensively, his .750 OPS in the playoffs, and his incredible defense all across the outfield, Kepler finished the year on a positive note.
When looking at his season-long stats, through 127 games, he hit .216 with a .691 OPS. Not great numbers by any means, but with the context of his major slump in the middle of the year through three months, his final numbers aren’t terrible.
Now, with his interest in returning to the Phillies clear, it’s an interesting decision for the Phillies to make. “If it were up to me,” Kepler said. “I’d be back.”
But, does the Phillies front office feel the same, and would Kepler accept a platoon once more? Also, what would Kepler demand in terms of financial compensation? Those questions will dictate his free agency, and it’s bound to be an interesting one.
Kepler might not have had a major impact on the Phillies, finishing with 0.0 bWAR on the year, but his final two months are encouraging enough to consider bringing him back, something no Phillies fan would’ve considered in July.
But, between his interest and his production at the end of the year, a return is something the Phillies must consider. While the attention is, justifiably so, on the other top free agents, what Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies decide on with Kepler will be something to monitor once free agency opens up.
More Phillies News:
- Matt Strahm blasts MLB analyst after Phillies’ NLDS loss
- Phillies’ Bryce Harper shows he understands Philadelphia, unlike Nick Castellanos
- Orion Kerkering error, explained: How Phillies’ crushing extra-innings gaffe delivered NLDS Game 4 to Dodgers
- Kyle Schwarber gets emotional as free agency looms after Phillies’ NLDS heartbreak
- Phillies manager Rob Thomson delivers clear message to Orion Kerkering after unforgettable collapse
- Orion Kerkering holds back tears in reaction to Phillies’ season-ending error
