MLB free agency has been slow this winter, and for one player, it just got slower. Max Kepler, an outfielder who has played for the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, has been served an 80-game suspension for PED use. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez has more on the suspension.
“NEWS: Free-agent outfielder Max Kepler has received an 80-game, PED-related suspension. MLB said he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Epitrenbolone,” Gonzalez reported.
Kepler spent ten seasons with the Twins before signing with the Phillies before the 2025 season. He had a .691 OPS in 127 games for the Phillies last season and is back on the open market. But he will not be able to play in the first half of the season due to this suspension.
Kepler has been a solid corner outfielder throughout his career and could have been a decent consolation prize once Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger were off the board. But now, his market will be significantly drier, given his lack of availability for the first half of the season. On top of that, 2025 was among his worst statistical seasons.
Teams that had Kepler in their plans have plenty of places to turn in the free-agent market. Starling Marte, Randal Grichuk, and Mike Tauchman are all veteran corner outfielders with some pop. The Phillies already signed the player who fits that mold, bringing in Adolis Garcia after he was let go by the Texas Rangers.
The New York Mets will be one of the teams fishing in that outfield pond. They traded away Brandon Nimmo, and there is no guarantee they land Bellinger or Tucker. With Marte on the market, the Amazins need an outfielder in this tax bracket to replace him. Kepler would have been a nice fit, but the Mets cannot afford a slow start.
Will a team take a chance on Kepler?
