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Phillies Linked to Max Kepler Replacement After Latest Comments

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jacob Mountz | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Max Kepler’s meager production has become a rather sizable problem for the Philadelphia Phillies. There are a couple of internal options the Phillies could turn to as replacements, such as Otto Kemp or Justin Crawford; however, an established bat might be better for the team’s World Series chances.

In a recent article from CBS Sports discussing the MLB’s best trade chips, writer R.J. Anderson listed the Phillies as a potential suitor for Miami Marlins’ slugger Jesús Sánchez. Anderson wrote this of Sánchez:

“Sánchez has a lightning-fast bat and impressive raw strength, he's just rarely leveraged those traits into better than league-average offense. He's also helpless against left-handed pitching, necessitating that an acquiring team employ a competent right-handed sock, too. A club seeking upside could key in on Sánchez, who still has a few seasons left of team control after this year.”

Sánchez is hitting .243/.315/.396 with seven home runs since coming off the IL. To Anderson’s point, despite his unappealing stat line, there are some overlooked jewels in his metrics. Sánchez ranks in the 94^th percentile in bat speed this season according to Baseball Savant. Last year, he ranked from the low to mid-90^th percentile in bat speed, hard hit percentage, and average exit velocity. Sánchez would bring the Phillies’ coaching staff a lot to work with. If they could help him make more contact, he could be a game-changing bat, especially in Philadelphia, where his left-handed bat would work wonders.

The Marlins, who again grace the bottom of the NL East, are clear sellers. For teams looking to bet on shocking potential that hasn’t really blossomed into results yet, Sánchez might be worth a gamble. In any case, for the Phillies, he would make an improvement over Kepler.

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

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