The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into an offseason where there is plenty of change expected to come. While Rob Thomson and the rest of the coaching staff are coming back, there are going to be some shakeups on the roster to try and bounce back from a rough NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of the main areas that will be in flux is the outfield. With Harrison Bader expected to be a free agent, Nick Castellanos a likely trade candidate, along Max Kepler hitting free agency, some major change is expected in the outfield.
During Dave Dombrowski's end-of-year press conference on NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Phillies executive revealed what the team is planning to do with Kepler as the left-handed slugger is hitting free agency.
Dave Dombrowski reveals what Phillies will do with Max Kepler in free agency
While the Phillies are trying to keep a few of their free agents, like Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, the free agency of Kepler isn't expected to result in him returning to Philadelphia.
"Max Kepler, well, he did a solid job for us," Dombrwoski said. "He's not going to most likely be back because he's a free agent and we have Justin Crawford."
This statement is a clear indication that Kepler, after a mixed-bag 2025 season, likely won't be back in Philadelphia next year.
Kepler had an up-and-down year, easily separated into three vastly different parts. He began Spring Training hot and carried it over into the regular season, hitting .253 through the end of April with a solid .753 OPS.
But, from the beginning of May until the end of July, things completely took a turn for the worse. Kepler hit just .181 across the 67 games he played in during this time. His .610 OPS was also rough.
His solid defense kept him on the field, along with the $10 million investment, but time was running out. As the deadline approached, the Phillies were looking for outfield help, and many fans wanted Kepler traded or outright released.
Instead, the Phillies kept him, and he rewarded the Phillies for said loyalty. In the final two months of the year, as he moved into a platoon with Castellanos in right field, things took a drastic turnaround for Kepler.
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Across the final 33 games of the season for Kepler, he had a .250 batting average with a .791 OPS. He launched seven home runs, hit five doubles, and knocked in 19 RBIs to close out the year.
He started his season solidly, then regressed massively in the middle of the year, and finally, closed out the year strong. His 750 OPS in the playoffs wasn't incredible, but with the rest of the Phillies' offense struggling significantly, he was one of the better hitters in October.
However, even though he turned things around at the end of the year, Dombrowski revealed that the Phillies aren't planning to keep him, with the emergence of Justin Crawford, the team's top-ranked outfield prospect, who hit above .330 all year in Triple-A, set to take over Kepler's spot in the outfield.
While Kepler didn't have the best season with the Phillies, at the end of he year, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. He got hot when it mattered most to clinch the NL East and provided good defense all season long.
Kepler will hit the open market, as the 11-year veteran now looks to find a new team after just one season in Philadelphia.
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- Phillies' J.T. Realmuto shuts down any free agency talk after loss vs. Dodgers
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