The Diamondbacks announced a one-year deal with the outfielder Max Kepler. The signing won’t even affect Arizona’s 40-man roster or active roster, as Kepler is still on the restricted list while serving an 80-game PED suspension.
News came out last January about Kepler testing positive for a PED known as Epitrenbolone, and since Kepler was still on the free market, his camp and Major League Baseball made a deal for Kepler to serve his 80-game suspension even if he didn’t get a new contract. Since Kepler did not sign until now, he is serving his 80-game suspension as if he were still a member of the Phillies (his former team).
Philadelphia played its 65th game of the season today, so the final 15 games of Kepler’s suspension will probably now be against the Diamondbacks schedule. This makes June 25 the first day Kepler will be eligible for the 2026 season, so he will get a few weeks of minor league time before making his D’Backs debut.
The financial terms of the signing were not disclosed, but it is assumed that Kepler will receive a minimum guaranteed salary spread over the remainder of the 2026 campaign. Even before the suspension, Kepler may have been facing a tough market due to his lack of production with the Phillies last year. He hit .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs over 474 plate appearances, and even those low numbers are now coming under the cloud of a PED suspension.
Kepler provided nearly the league’s most consistent offense in his 11 MLB seasons, as he had a 101 wRC+ from a career slash line of .235/.316/.425 over 1199 PA with the Twins and Phillies. Kepler posted a 122 wRC+ in 2019 and 2023 and a 109 wRC+ in the shortened 2020 season, but has otherwise been a subpar hitter in his other eight seasons.
The left-handed hitter has struggled against southpaw pitching for most of his career, limiting Kepler’s effectiveness as a true everyday player. Kepler has expressed frustration with the platoon’s role in the past, such as last June when he said “I signed here [in Philadelphia] i’m told i’m going to be a left fielder every day” after he was out of the lineup for three straight games when the Phils faced left-handed starters.
While naturally more productive against right-handed pitching, Kepler hasn’t exactly been a righty-masher, as he’s hit a respectable but uninspiring .240/.324/.446 in his career with platoon advantage. Most of Kepler’s success against righties has come early in his career, as he has hit .237/.315/.408 in 1436 PA against righties since Opening Day 2022.
Offense aside, Kepler also provided outstanding right field defense during his first years as a regular in the Twins lineup. His defensive metrics, however, have sunk as he’s battled knee problems in recent years, and a move to the seemingly easy lefty spot in Philadelphia resulted in +2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average over 773 1/3 innings (marking Kepler’s first career lefty).
Corbin Carroll clearly has right field covered in Arizona, so Kepler will likely serve as a left fielder and DH against right-handed pitching. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jordan Lawler, Ryan Waldschmidtagain Tommy Troy they are all right-handed hitters, so Kepler’s addition to the left field mix will add some program balance. By the time Kepler is eligible to return, Gurriel should be back from the hamstring strain that kept him out for the past few weeks, and Lawlar (currently in Triple-A rehab) should be back from a broken wrist that kept him in IL for more than two months.
It should be noted that Kepler’s salary is probably low enough that the D’Backs wouldn’t feel comfortable releasing Kepler (or assigning him an assignment) if he doesn’t produce. This appears to be a deep move for the Snakes as they continue to try to find two-thirds of their outfield picture, as well as a bit of a fling to see what Kepler can have in the tank in his age-33 season. However Kepler may be contributing to Arizona’s postseason push, he is ineligible to participate in this year’s playoffs, per the terms of the PED suspension.
