Former Twins OF Max Kepler Receives 80-Game PED Suspension

Seth Stohs · January 9

On Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that former Twins and Phillies outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance. It is an item that violates MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Max Kepler will turn 33 years old in a little more than a month. He is currently a free agent looking for his next home. After signing with the Twins in 2009 out of Germany, he spent parts of the 2015-2024 seasons in a Twins uniform. Over those 10 seasons, he was worth 20.5 bWAR. In 1,072 games, he hit .237/.318/.429 (.746) with 205 doubles, 161 homers and 508 RBI.

His best season came in 2019 when he hit .252/.336/.519 (.855) with 32 doubles and he led the Bomba Squad with 36 home runs. He was never able to replicate those numbers.

He became a free agent for the first time last offseason. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies. In 127 games, he hit .216/.300/.391 (.691) with 19 doubles and 18 home runs.

Free agency just became more difficult for Kepler. Some team will sign him and not have to pay him for the first half of the season. He can come back for the final 82 games of the season, but because of the suspension, he will be unable to play in the playoffs should the team make it.

Share your thoughts.

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jctwins · January 9

What a waste of a suspension considering how well they worked for him.

jmlease1 · January 9

Not good for Max's future career. When the declining player in their 30's coming off a career worst season gets popped for PEDs it can mean the end.

old nurse · January 9

Yikes. His performance last year did not say PED use.

Parfigliano · January 9

6 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Yikes. His performance last year did not say PED use.

Or it does say PED use and shows how far he's fallen physically.

old nurse · January 9

8 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Or it does say PED use and shows how far he's fallen physically.

The Phillies stat line suggests they wanted more HR than line drives. I think he was trying to get stronger the quick way to continue to have a job

Twodogs · January 9

15 minutes ago, old nurse said:

The Phillies stat line suggests they wanted more HR than line drives. I think he was trying to get stronger the quick way to continue to have a job

Probably very likely. I'd guess most guys do the stuff in the off season and maybe towards the end of the year like in the playoffs??

Twodogs · January 9

He would be a cheap signing? Ha ha

stringer bell · January 9

It's been my understanding that players do PEDs to return quicker from injuries. IDK if that's totally accurate, but it seems recent PED users haven't physically changed their bodies.

theBOMisthebomb · January 9

It seems like this could be a career ender. Unless some team sees value having Kepler there for the second half of the season with no playoffs, which seems unlikely to me.

I thought of Kepler as a borderline Twins Hall of Fame type player. I wonder if this removes him from that conversation in the future.

stringer bell · January 10

26 minutes ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

It seems like this could be a career ender. Unless some team sees value having Kepler there for the second half of the season with no playoffs, which seems unlikely to me.

I thought of Kepler as a borderline Twins Hall of Fame type player. I wonder if this removes him from that conversation in the future.

Polanco and Nelson Cruz also had hits for PEDs. I'd venture to say that neither are looked on that negatively by the Twins' fan base.

Eris · January 10

Do we know when he tested positive.

Fatbat · January 10

Some of the best ball ever was Sosa vs. Mcquire. No one cares about peds.

twinstalker · January 10

Was the drug a hallucinogenic? Because he rarely squared up anything.

Parfigliano · January 10

3 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Some of the best ball ever was Sosa vs. Mcquire. No one cares about peds.

I cared

old nurse · January 10

12 hours ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

It seems like this could be a career ender. Unless some team sees value having Kepler there for the second half of the season with no playoffs, which seems unlikely to me.

I thought of Kepler as a borderline Twins Hall of Fame type player. I wonder if this removes him from that conversation in the future.

There is no reason to put Kepler in the HOF other than that he is a German player.

mikelink45 · January 10

There goes his HOF plaque!

Linus · January 10

Kepler is not a Twins Hall of Famer. The only thing he has going for him in this regard is longevity and the fact that Falvey couldn’t develop a legit mlb outfielder to take his place.

Julian Bernick · January 10

He might have got passed something by his old roommate Jorge.

He'd be a reasonable half-price signing for the Twinks-- no playoffs to worry about anyway + we can never have enough leftie corner OF who can't hit.

stringer bell · January 10

He was an okay player. I think his Twins career compares favorably to Dan Gladden, but he is missing a world championship or two.

Jeff K · January 10

I feel badly about it because of his time with the Twins. I suspect he wasn't on them until this off-season trying to prolong his career. But, of course, that is speculation.

TheLeviathan · January 10

image.png.519435a81ac7966287f2db6f8fdcec4e.png

Brock Beauchamp · January 10

5 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Even better, cattle steroid injections not approved for human use.

TheLeviathan · January 10

3 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Even better, cattle steroid injections not approved for human use.

I got you my friend:

image.png.7392db9849adda6491c83ad2fa77e02b.png

theBOMisthebomb · January 10

4 hours ago, old nurse said:

There is no reason to put Kepler in the HOF other than that he is a German player.

He has more bWAR with the Twins than Twins HOFers Versalles, Gagne, and Cuddyer. Then, there's Gladden in there so that opens the door to many possibilities.

jorgenswest · January 10

Kepler’s 20.5 baseball reference WAR as a Twin is worthy of consideration to be in the Twins Hall of Fame. Playing the same position Michael Cuddyer had 12.8 as a Twin. Corey Koskie was a recent inductee with 22.1. Morneau at 22.9. Dan Gladden had 5.7 but he was also a long time broadcaster.

I think there are three retired players with over 20 WAR on the team that have not been elected to the Twins HOF in Dave Goltz, Roy Smalley and Brian Dozier. I would put them in first. Goltz has the greatest WAR among the three. Chuck Knoblauch was elected but not enshrined. His transgressions are not a comp for Kepler’s. Assuming the evidence for Kepler is from this off-season I don’t see any reason it would keep him out. The Twins are going to elect someone every year to have that celebratory weekend. If Kepler is ever the best candidate his post Twins steroid use shouldn’t keep him out. Right now there are better candidates and he will be behind Buxton when they both are retired.

old nurse · January 10

1 hour ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

He has more bWAR with the Twins than Twins HOFers Versalles, Gagne, and Cuddyer. Then, there's Gladden in there so that opens the door to many possibilities.

Gladden and Gagne were part of 2 WS winning.teams, i think if they were a starter on both teams they got put in. Zoilo was league mvp and part of a WS team.

JADBP · January 10

Say it ain’t so, Max!

nicksaviking · January 10

15 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

I cared

You're the only one though, that's why they were first ballot HOF.

Linus · January 10

17 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

You're the only one though, that's why they were first ballot HOF.

I cared.

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