Max couldn't hit LH pitchers at all, we feared he was destined to be a career mediocrity as a platoon player, then he seemed to figure it out more than a little bit. He flourished for a season, we signed him to a five year extension that is easy, and since then he's struggled for various reasons.
He is athletic, he's a legitimate backup to Buxton in CF when the need inevitably arises, and if healthy he can potentially blossom as the player we hoped for when the extension was accomplished. All of the foregoing does or does not happen under a contract that is easy to handle.
I say do NOT trade Kepler, I say stay the course and look for the upside that made for the five year deal in the first place. There's nothing about the young talent we have that suggests Kepler is expendable. He's got more going on than the young fellas by reason of his short career to date, and I think he's an important part of the plan going forward.