Pirates Rumors: Former Twins outfielder linked to Pittsburgh in free agency

With their decision to non-tender Connor Joe and Bryan De La Cruz at last month's deadline, the Pittsburgh Pirates all but confirmed that they will be in the market for a corner outfielder this offseason.

General manager Ben Cherington has a history of shying away from large contracts in free agency, and there's no reason to expect that to be any different this year. So, unless the Pirates acquire a corner outfielder through a trade, they will likely be focused on buy-low candidates to improve their outfield and their batting lineup.

One such candidate is Max Kepler, who has spent his entire 10-year MLB career with the Minnesota Twins. Kepler, who will be 32 in February, was first linked to the Pirates by MLB.com insider Alex Stumpf at the end of October and later mentioned in The Athletic as a "best fit" for Pittsburgh.

Max Kepler addresses Pirates' need for an impact bat and corner outfield help

Kepler played in 105 games for Minnesota last season and missed all but one game in September due to knee and hip injuries. The left-handed hitter slashed .253/.302/.380 with eight home runs and 42 RBI in 2024.

Those numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but Stumpf pointed out that Kepler's down year could very well be health-related and that he was just one year removed from a 24-homer campaign in 2023. Still, Kepler is likely to be passed over by clubs looking for left-handed bats, as lefty-swinging free agents like Juan Soto and switch hitters like Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar are coming off of strong seasons at the plate.

This could be good news for the Pirates, who could use Kepler's skill set on their roster. In addition to his power potential at the plate, he is also very strong defensively; in fact, he is currently the MLB leader in Outs Above Average in right field dating back to 2016 with 57. Given that both Joe and De La Cruz logged significant time in right field last season, the Pirates could look to Kepler to fill that void.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted that, due to his poor season at the plate in 2024, Kepler would be limited to a one-year deal in the $6-10 million range. If Kepler had hit free agency last offseason, he probably would have been one of the top corner outfielders available on the market. Now, he's a buy-low, bounce-back candidate who could fit nicely into the Pirates' plans – and their price range.

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