The Philadelphia Phillies made a few moves in the offseason to build their 40-man roster. The team is adamant about winning the World Series before they miss out on several star players. While they remain competitive in the NL East, not every player gets to participate in that success.
Recently, veteran slugger Max Kepler voiced his frustration with the team. The franchise brought Kepler in from the Minnesota Twins after signing a one-year $10-million deal. However, Kepler was not given much of a chance to prove himself.
It turns out that the Phillies have not given him a spot on the team to play consistently. Kepler recently stated he signed with the team to play, and not being out of the field has made it more challenging for him.
“The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely. That’s the biggest challenge. I mean, I signed here being told that I was going to be the starting left fielder. The everyday starting left fielder. So, there’s my answer. That’s why I came here,” Kepler said.
—#Phillies' last offseason priority is adding a pitcher who can start as back-end depth or relieve.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) December 20, 2024
–Max Kepler will play LF, Dave Dombrowski said. He has played only RF and CF in majors, but Phils were reassured by old pal Terry Ryan that he can play LF.
–Happy holidays.
It’s natural for Kepler to be frustrated, especially when hitters are struggling at the plate. To make things worse, they have not given him time to show his skill.
Phillies Manager Rob Thompson Reflects On Max Kepler’s Frustration
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Rob Thompson is clearly aware of the situation with the team. He understands Kepler’s frustration, and he thinks it is a good thing for players to want to be out on the field.
“I trust Max. I really do, and he’s started, what, 60 games for us? So I kind of consider that a starter myself. But I see where the frustration is, because these guys want to play — and that’s a good thing. I’m sure a lot of guys get frustrated when they don’t play every day, you know?” Thompson said via MLB.
Thompson seems to have other priorities, and he’s giving opportunities to players who have been on the Phillies squad for a long time. Hopefully, Max Kepler will get the chance to play soon. Otherwise, the slugger might part ways with the team. Philadelphia dropped its position in the week 13 MLB power rankings.
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