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Okay, this is getting out of hand.
Yet another corner outfield option – an affordable one, at that – appears to be off the market, with ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement with free agent and former Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler on a one-year contract worth $10 million.
It's not like the Pittsburgh Pirates were ever going to be in the running for Juan Soto (or Teoscar Hernández or Anthony Santander, for that matter), but they need a corner outfielder who can put the ball over the fence. Kepler actually seemed like a realistic target for Pittsburgh, considering he was seeking a one-year, "prove-it" deal to bounce back after his injury-plagued walk year in Minnesota.
Kepler missed time because of injuries to both knees in 2024 and hit .253/.302/.380 with 24 home runs over 105 games. Over the past 10 seasons – all with the Twins – Kepler has hit .237/.318/.429 with 161 home runs and 508 RBI in 1,072 games. He would have been a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Pirates in right field; a no-brainer, really.
And yet, Kepler is set to become a Philadelphia Phillie, and the Pirates are still without a right fielder. Unfortunately, it isn't all that surprising.
Pirates latest free agency miss could sound alarm bells for offseason upgrades
The Pirates have to start showing some urgency when it comes to filling the void in right field. The longer they wait, the more options will come off the board, and they will once again go into spring training with significant questions around the position like they did last year.
At the very least, Pittsburgh should be aggressive in pursuing a trade for a corner outfielder. But the fact that they couldn't land an extremely affordable in free agent option in Kepler raises some serious red flags about this team's offseason strategy.
The Pirates literally spent $10.5 million last offseason for one year of Aroldis Chapman, who provided them with solid late-inning relief every two or three games. But they can't shell out less than that for one year of a reliable hitter who addresses an area of need and can make a nightly impact on the lineup? Make it make sense.
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