Stay or Go: Should Phillies Bring Back Max Kepler?

Kepler finished his 2025 campaign off strong and fits the Phillies roster well, but should the club bring him back longer-term?

Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Max Kepler (17) hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies' singular offensive acquisition in the 2025 offseason performed slightly better than his 2024 campaign, but still possesses major issues

32-year-old outfielder Max Kepler was signed to a one-year deal in December of 2024 and was the Phillies' opening day left fielder. He appeared in 127 games for the club, rotating between left field and right field mainly, with a handful of games in center field.

Max Kepler has interest in returning to the Phillies in 2026. pic.twitter.com/TLO491vdPs

— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) October 12, 2025

It seemed that Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski was banking on a return to his 2023 form, where he slashed .260/.332/.484 in 130 games. The buy-low move proved to be just that, and Kepler was a below-average MLB player in 2025. He finished the season with exactly 0.0 Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball Reference, and had an OPS+ of just 88.

His fielding metrics were mediocre, with a 37th percentile Fielding Run Value per Baseball Savant, 63rd percentile range, and a 29th percentile Arm Value. The one part of the season he did show up in, however, was down the final stretch. A fantastic September sent him into October on a hot streak, and he continued to be productive in the postseason.

Despite hitting just .167, he posted a respectable .750 OPS, generated two extra base hits, and walked three times, opposed to just two strikeouts. Entering free agency after his one-year deal with Philadelphia, his market is certainly an intriguing one.

The Verdict: Go

Swing and miss concerns, subpar on-base percentage, and declining defensive metrics. Three aspects of Kepler's game that have been present for around half a decade now.

With an outfield makeover needed, as well as internal options such as top prospect Justin Crawford and 24-year-old Gabriel Rincones, there frankly isn't a need for Kepler to be on the roster next season. He doesn't have as much upside as other candidates, both in-house and external free agents, and his Spotrac market value of $7.6 million is far too much to reasonably pay for a player of that profile.

Kepler has also not been a beacon of health across his career, lessening his appeal in Philadelphia even more.

Statistically, his .262/.322/.505 slash line across his final 30 games in 2025 was effective enough to be a passable bottom-of-the-lineup bat. However, two straight seasons with an OPS of less than .700 are far from enough to form a legitimate argument for his return, especially as the club attempts to inject youth into an already aging core.