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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies' Johan Rojas Feelings Show Where Team Stands Ahead of Trade Deadline
Phillies' Johan Rojas Feelings Show Where Team Stands Ahead of Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There have been parts throughout the year when Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas looked like he was figuring things out. Now, the opposite can be said. Advertisement Rojas hasn't done anything offensively for another tough stretch, putting the Phillies in a strange position heading into the trade deadline. One could question if he's the type of hitter he was in April, where he hit .288 with eight RBIs, four walks, and 16 strikeouts, which certainly isn't great. However, with above-average defense in center, there's reason to believe the Phillies could deal with it. In May and June, he's been terrible again. Rojas is hitting .133 in June and hit .167 in May. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are starting to grow frustrated, which should be a telling sign heading into the deadline. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas (23) looks on before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Ross-Imagn Images "There is growing frustration with Rojas, who has seven hits in his last 59 at-bats," according to Gelb. "He serves a purpose — as a late-inning defensive replacement and potential pinch runner — but the club could look to limit his time at the plate." Advertisement The Phillies have been attempting to replace Rojas or address their outfield issues over the past few years. It's impressive that they're still 48-34 and in first place despite the glaring issues in the outfield, but if the Phillies don't fix this problem again at the deadline, it's time to start questioning Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski is very good at his job, and many consider him one of the best executives in the league. However, the heat is on, and if he doesn't fix this problem, how can he return next year? Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Breaks Silence on Max Kepler Situation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies' Max Kepler Frustrated Amid Lack of Promised 'Everyday' Left Field Role
Phillies' Max Kepler Frustrated Amid Lack of Promised 'Everyday' Left Field Role originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Max Kepler signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason. Kepler believed that he was set to be the team's everyday left fielder once he signed. However, he's been platooning on the left this season. Advertisement In a piece from Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Kepler expressed his frustrations over his current role, claiming the Phillies "misled" him in the offseason. Ahead of the Phillies series against the Atlanta Braves, Paul Casella of shared Kepler doubling down on his ridiculous comments. "I mean," Kepler said. "I signed here, being told I was going to be the everyday left fielder. The everyday starting left fielder. So, there's my answer. That's why I came here." Not only were Kepler's comments ridiculous, but his frustration is overblown. In the Phillies' 81 games in 2025, Kepler has started 60 and appeared in 72. While he's sat 21 games this season, 60 out of 81 is by no means a bench or platoon player. Kepler is getting in the lineup frequently. But what makes his comments even more frustrating is his lack of production at the plate. Across his 235 at-bats, Kepler is batting just .209, the lowest mark of his career. Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Max Kepler (17) watches his home run leave the park in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Rassol-Imagn Images He's also settled in at a .683 OPS, the lowest of his MLB career until this point. The Phillies signed Kepler to be a plus defender and a solid bat in the middle of their lineup. Kepler hasn't been that, especially against lefties. Advertisement Ironically, he's hitting .222 against lefties in 2025, but against lefty starters, Kepler has managed a measly .143 batting average. While he's shown the ability to hit left-handed relievers, in his three starts against lefties, Kepler has struggled. This whole debacle started because of Kepler being benched against lefty starters. While his overall statistics against lefties aren't bad, Kepler's handling of his platooning has been inappropriate. Going to the media to complain and call out the team is a ridiculous path to take. And with Kepler doubling down in Casella's piece, there's even more for Phillies fans to be frustrated with. Kepler is frustrated over his playing and is looking to be an everyday starter. Not just a frequent starter, but in the lineup for every game. If he handled it internally, things might look different, but his public handling of this situation has soured Kepler with many Phillies fans. Advertisement Related: Max Kepler Calls Out Phillies For Misleading Him in Free Agency Related: Trea Turner Still Optimistic After Phillies' Horrendous Astros Series This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trea Turner Still Optimistic After Phillies' Horrendous Astros Series
Trea Turner Still Optimistic After Phillies' Horrendous Astros Series originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies just came off one of the worst series they've had in a long time. After three games against the Houston Astros, the offense only managed one run. It was made even worse that the pitching was incredible, allowing just five runs across all three games. Advertisement It was a horrendous series, and yet, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, in an article from Matt Gelb of The Athletic, is still optimistic about this team. Despite the bad series and the rough year offensively, Turner has a positive outlook. "We can improve in quite a few areas," Turner said. "We can play some better baseball. I don't think we've played our best baseball. I kind of like that." While, in the moment, this comment from Turner isn't the greatest, there's a good reason for that optimism. In 2024, the Phillies started strong and looked like the best team in baseball. But, right before the All-Star break, cracks began to show. Once they returned from the All-Star festivities, the Phillies struggled the rest of the way. The writing was on the wall for their postseason series against the Mets, and the Phillies fell out of the postseason despite having one of their best regular seasons in recent years. Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) runs up the baseline after hitting a single against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Daikin Williams-Imagn Images That 2024 team had very little they could improve upon. This year's team is vastly different. There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved, which opens the door for improvement. That's what's exciting, Turner, the ability to improve despite being 0.5 games back of the New York Mets for the NL East. Advertisement "We've had some injuries here and there," Turner said. "We're still in a spot to win the division. I don't really know the standings, but before coming here, we were in first place. So if you had told me that two, three months ago, I would take that." While the news stings for the Phillies, especially after such a terrible series in Houston, there is reason to be optimistic. The Phillies are still fighting for the NL East lead despite their offense disappearing. Bryce Harper is still hurt, and the rest of the lineup is struggling. The only thing working is the starting rotation. If the Phillies can figure it out on offense, there will be few teams that they wouldn't have a strong chance against come the postseason. Turner is optimistic despite the terrible series. But, with the circumstances surrounding the team, it's not hard to see why he's optimistic. There's plenty of room to improve, and yet, the Phillies are right behind the Mets for the NL East title. Advertisement Related: Max Kepler Calls Out Phillies For Misleading Him in Free Agency Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Gives Positive Injury Update on Bryce Harper This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies ‘Growing Frustrated' With Lack of Production From Outfielder Johan Rojas
Phillies 'Growing Frustrated' With Lack of Production From Outfielder Johan Rojas originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies have hit a mid-summer skid after being swept by the Houston Astros. The pitching was tremendous, allowing five runs across 27 innings. However, the offense seemed to have holes in their bats, leading to just one run scored in the three-game series. Although there are plenty of places to assign blame, one underlying issue continues to be outfield production – primarily centerfielder Johan Rojas. Advertisement Philadelphia is searching for an outfield upgrade at the trade deadline, and Rojas' putrid .216/.270/.288 slash-line is, by far, the most replaceable on the team. Even Rojas' defense, his most valuable asset, ranks 22nd, according to FanGraphs WAR, and tied for 20th in Defensive Runs Saved. Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas (18) runs toward second base after hitting a double against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at loanDepot Navarro-Imagn Images After a lackluster 2024 season that offered only glimpses of potential, Rojas has taken a step back in 2025, fueling growing frustration within the organization. "There is growing frustration with Rojas, who has seven hits in his last 59 at-bats," according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. "He serves a purpose — as a late-inning defensive replacement and potential pinch runner — but the club could look to limit his time at the plate." Advertisement The Phillies are desperate to find offensive output from the outfield. And all options are on the table, including moving former MVP Bryce Harper back to rightfield if they can acquire a first baseman at the deadline, according to ESPN's Bust Olney. As a unit, Philadelphia's outfield ranks 14th in baseball, per FanGraphs, but is inside the bottom ten in home runs, hits, and RBIs for the season. As the trade deadline approaches and dissatisfaction permeates through the organization, an outfield shakeup is overdue. Related: Trea Turner Still Optimistic After Phillies' Horrendous Astros Series This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Max Kepler Claims Phillies Misled Him During Free Agency
Phillies outfielder Max Kepler has gone to the media to air out a beef: He says the the Phils misled him during free agency when they gave him a one-year, $10-million deal to be their everyday left fielder. "The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely," Kepler told Matt Gelb of The Athletic after the Houston Astros finished off a three-game sweep of the Phillies on Thursday. 'That's the biggest challenge. ... I was told I was going to be the starting left fielder.' Phillies outfielder Max Kepler is upset that he is not playing everyday. (Photo by Mitchell ...) Kepler has started 60 of the first 81 games but only three times against a left-handed starting pitcher, and, prior to Thursday's loss, he sat four straight days. He's been platooning with Weston Wilson, who recently got demoted, and new arrival Otto Kemp in left. The Phillies had hoped the left-handed-hitting veteran could replicate some solid years he had with the Minnesota Twins, like when he slashed .260/.332/.484 during the 2023 season. So far it hasn't happened in Philly for Kepler, who's having the worst year of his 11-year career, slashing .209/.300/.383 in 267 plate appearances. Kepler's frustrations could be creeping in play. In his first at-bat Thursday, he slowed up on a grounder and the Astros turned a 4-6-3 double play that he possibly could have beaten out with some hustle. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Kepler botched a shot to throw out the eventual winning run at home plate after double-clutching the ball hit his way; here's a look at that miscue: With Kepler publicly calling out his bosses, it would not be a shocker if he endures the same fate as Whit Merrifield, a veteran who was also inked to a one-year deal before the Phillies cut him mid-July last season. Kepler's in-house replacement would be Justin Crawford, the 21-year-old outfield prospect who is slashing .332/.408/.435 with 26 steals at Triple A. The knock against Crawford is that he hit too many ground balls, but that's possibly an overblown criticism considering Crawford's superior on-base skills and 75-grade speed. The Phils' other option would be pulling off a trade to replace him as the deadline approaches. Rumored options include: Luis Robert (White Sox), Jarren Duran (Red Sox), Cedric Mullins (Orioles) and Taylor Ward (Angels). But before buying into that Kepler is good as gone, he probably has at least two or three weeks to salvage his season and prove he is the Phillies' everyday left fielder.
