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New Phillies Bat Looking Like Offseason Steal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Mar 17, 2025 5:00 PM ET

When the Phillies signed Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million contract, it seemed like the move came out of nowhere. There weren't any rumblings of the longtime Minnesota Twins outfielder coming to Philly, and it didn't appear to fit what the team needed.

It just shows that baseball execs usually know more than we do.

Dave Dombrowski may have found the solution to a problem that's been plaguing his club since he took over as President of Baseball Operations: a third dependable outfielder. Kepler, despite never playing left field in his major league career, has made the shift over from right seamlessly this spring.

His bat, almost immediately criticized for further diluting an already lefty-heavy lineup, has also looked impressive. Kepler is hitting .346 in Spring Training, with three home runs, a pair of doubles, and nine runs batted in.

Those numbers come with a slight asterisk, as he's 0/4 against left-handed pitching so far, but history shows that he's perfectly capable of hitting off both types of pitchers. Still, it's the power bits that should have Philly fans intrigued.

Kepler smashed 24 home runs in 2023 for the Twins, but he only had eight last season as he battled tendinitis. Phillies' hitting coach Kevin Long is well known for instilling an aggressive approach at the plate. If he can get yet another 20+ HR threat to round out a stacked lineup, it would give credit to the claim that Philly can compete with anyone in MLB - even the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

It would also help to change the narrative on Dombrowski's offseason, where the biggest moves, aside from Kepler, were trading for Jesús Luzardo and signing relievers Jordan Romano and Joe Ross. After a quiet trade deadline last summer - and subsequent early playoff exit - many fans felt that the front office didn't do enough to maximize their World Series Chances.

While there are still questions about Kepler, such as whether or not he can stay healthy enough to play almost every day in left, the signing looks like it will age rather well in the coming months.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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