The offseason of 2024-2025 might not go down in history as a standout period for Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski. While Dombrowski is commendably recognized for acquiring Jesús Luzardo through a trade, this offseason’s free agent acquisitions—Jordan Romano and Max Kepler—are proving to be less than successful.
Romano, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal on December 9th, was expected to step into the right-handed late-inning relief role previously held by Jeff Hoffman. Shortly after, Kepler was added to the roster with a one-year, $10 million contract, intended to position him as the team’s starting left fielder. Both signings were seen as moves to capitalize on players bouncing back from injuries, yet the timing seemed uncharacteristic, as these types of contracts are usually inked later in the offseason.
As of early July, the performance of both players has been troubling. Romano has the highest ERA of any relief pitcher with at least 30 games, sitting at 7.28. Kepler’s performance has been slightly better, but not much, with a .676 OPS and a .207 batting average across 75 games, further complicated by recent comments questioning his playing time, which have only heightened scrutiny surrounding his role on the team.
This pattern follows a troubling trend for Dombrowski, who has made previous one-year signings, such as those of Whit Merrifield, Josh Harrison, and Jeurys Familia, with disappointing results. Merrifield was released after batting just .199, while Harrison posted similar struggles and was released as part of trade deadline adjustments. Familia, who also faced difficulties, left the team with a 6.09 ERA.
Both Kepler and Romano now find themselves teetering on the edge of falling into this same category of release-worthy performances. The Phillies have exhibited a degree of patience with their veterans, but they are also cognizant of the impending trade deadline, which will serve as a critical deadline for both players to prove their worth and viability on the roster.
They have shown sporadic flashes of success; however, consistency has eluded both. With Kepler stuck at a .179 batting average since May and Romano’s performance deteriorating post-March, time is running short for them to turn things around. Should their patterns of struggle remain, they could soon be joining the ranks of previous veterans who were released after failing to live up to expectations.
It’s a precarious state for Kepler and Romano, who have roughly a month to improve their performances and help the team before the trade deadline potentially leads to further roster changes. Fans and analysts alike will be closely monitoring their next moves to see if they can indeed salvage their seasons and contribute meaningfully to the Phillies’ aspirations moving forward.