Why The Twins Are Likely Not To Trade Max Kepler

The chances of Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler being traded have “substantially decreased,” Athletic staff writer Dan Hayes wrote in an article Thursday.

Hayes wrote that the team had considered trading Max Kepler if presented with the right deal, according to team sources. The Twins believed Kepler’s market would “provide profits that could help the club in other ways”, but just two weeks into spring training, the desired interest wasn’t there.

“There are a lot of players who are listed in the outfield and play other positions or infield,” Derek Falby, the Twins’ president of baseball operations, said Friday. “With an open (designated hitter) spot and having players that can rotate there, we feel like … that could be a strength for our team. I feel like

Last season, he had 88 hits, 54 runs, nine home runs and 446 plate appearances in 388 plate appearances in 115 games, according to Baseball Reference. According to Spotrac, Max Kepler is in the fifth year of a five-year, $35 million contract with the Twins in 2019 with a sixth-year club option. He is set to earn a base salary of $8.5 million in 2023. Club options for 2024 include a $1 million buyout.

The Twins recently acquired outfielder Michael A. Taylor from the Kansas City Royals in a trade, adding even more depth to their already talented outfielder. The team is projected to field Joey Gallo in left field, Byron Buxton in center field, and Max Kepler in right field.

Gallo said he was open to playing first base.

“It’s a position I haven’t had too much trouble with and I told them, ‘I’ll play whatever the team needs,'” Gallo said. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of, and it brings diversity and allows you to move around the diamond.”