With the MLB playoffs now firmly on the radar for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team made a deal to add some veteran depth to its outfield on Sunday.
The D-backs inked suspended outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year deal, adding a veteran power bat for the home stretch of the regular season. Kepler, 33, is currently serving an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing drug (PED). He is eligible to return to MLB action on June 25th, but is ineligible to play in this year's MLB postseason.
Kepler spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after playing the first 10 years of his career with the Minnesota Twins. The native of Berlin, Germany, established himself as a power-hitting left-handed batter who is best used as a strong-side of an outfield platoon. In 1,199 career MLB games, Kepler has 179 home runs, 560 RBI, and a .741 OPS. Last year with the Phillies, Kepler slashed .216/.300/.391, with 18 home runs and 52 RBI in 127 games.
The deal certainly addresses one of Arizona's thinnest position groups. Outside of Corbin Carroll, the Diamondbacks haven't had any consistent producers in their outfield. With Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Lawlar currently on the injured list, Arizona has been fielding rookies Tommy Troy and Ryan Waldschmidt alongside Carroll. Kepler should slot in nicely as a depth piece, especially once Gurriel and Lawlar are back in the big leagues.
Kepler's deal is a savvy one for the Diamondbacks for a couple of reasons. First, Kepler remains on the Restricted List until June 25th, which means he does not impact Arizona's 40-man roster until he returns from his suspension. The Diamondbacks are also leaning into analytics, as Chase Field has a favorable short right-field fence that benefits left-handed power bats.
With the Diamondbacks currently occupying the final NL Wild Card spot, it is clear that management is loading up for the stretch run. The Diamondbacks are also expecting to get back Carlos Santana and ace Corbin Burnes later in the year, which means this roster could be taking shape at just the right time.
