Aug 12, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (26) advances toward first after hitting a double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Kyle Ross
The Phillies and veteran outfielder Max Kepler agreed to a one-year/$10 million deal Thursday night, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The deal is pending a physical, but would add another big salary to the payroll for 2025.
Where do the Phillies stand in terms of payroll with that deal added in? We've done our best to project where the Phillies' current roster is at. This story will be updated throughout the offseason.
Zack Wheeler: $42 million
Trea Turner: $27.27 million
Bryce Harper: $25.38 million
Aaron Nola: $24.57 million
J.T. Realmuto: $23.1 million
Nick Castellanos: $20 million
Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber will each make major salaries from the Phillies in 2025. (Bill Streicher/USA Today)Kyle Schwarber: $19.75 million
Taijuan Walker: $18 million
Max Kepler: $10 million
Jordan Romano: $8.5 million
Matt Strahm: $7.5 million
José Alvarado: $7.33 million
Cristopher Sánchez: $5.63 million
José Ruiz: $1.23 million
Total Guaranteed Salaries: $240.26 million
Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh are both arbitration eligible in 2025. (Bill Streicher/USA Today)The Phillies non-tendered Austin Hays last week, while agreeing to terms with Ruiz and Garrett Stubbs (who signed a split contract, and isn't listed because we're projecting he opens 2025 at Triple-A) to avoid arbitration.
They tendered contracts to five other players. If they can't reach terms with these players, they'll go to an arbitration hearing. Here's what MLB Trade Rumors' Matt Swartz projects each will earn in arbitration.
Ranger Suàrez: $8.9 million
Alec Bohm: $8.1 million
Bryson Stott: $3.5 million
Brandon Marsh: $3 million
Edmundo Sosa: $2.5 million
Projected Arbitration Commitments: $26 million
Johan Rojas is not yet arbitration eligible. (Bill Streicher/USA Today)The following players are likely to be on the Opening Day roster, but don't yet have three years of service time. That means they aren't eligible for arbitration, and will make approximately $800,000, per Spotrac. For the purposes of this article, we've projected that these seven players will count that price against the luxury tax threshold.
Max Lazar
Kody Clemens
Rafael Marchán
Tanner Banks
Weston Wilson
Johan Rojas
Orion Kerkering
Projected Pre-Arb Commitments: $5.6 million
Whit Merrifield will be paid $1 million by the Phillies in 2025. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today)The Phillies signed Whit Merrifield to a one-year/$8 million deal last spring, but released him in July after he hit .199 in 137 at-bats. His deal included an $8 million option for 2025, which was declined when he was released. Still, the Phillies will owe Merrifield a $1 million buyout on that option in 2025.
Luckily for the Phillies, this doesn't count against the luxury tax threshold.
Projected Declined Option Commitments: $1 million (This will not factor into the final equation, though, because it doesn't count against the luxury tax threshold)
Didi Gregorius is still being paid by the Phillies. (Jim Rassol/USA Today)Largely, the Phillies have avoided adding deferred money into contracts, something the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals have made a habit of doing.
However, the Phillies did include some deferred money in the two-year/$28 million deal they signed Didi Gregorius to after the 2021 season as the baseball world was dealing with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gregorius will be paid $2 million by the Phillies in 2024, even though he hasn't played with the club since the summer of 2022. That full amount will count against the luxury tax threshold.
Projected Deferred Money Commitments: $2 million (This will be factored into the final equation, because it does count against the luxury tax threshold)
Bryce Harper and Trea Turner are two of the highest-paid players on the Phillies. (Jesse Johnson/USA Today)While the specifics are vague, Spotrac estimates that the Phillies have $17.5 million in player benefits on the books in 2025, which do count against the luxury tax threshold.
Total Luxury Tax Threshold Projection: $291.36 million
Without making any more additions, the Phillies are already projected to be over the second surcharge. The baseline for the three surcharges are 12%, 45% and 60%, but because the Phillies will be paying the luxury tax for the fourth consecutive year, they get an additional 50% added on to each tax.
First Surcharge (52% tax on all overages): $261 million
Second Surcharge (95% tax on all overages): $281 million
Third Surcharge (110% tax on all overages): $301 million
Phillies To Sign Outfielder Max Kepler to One-Year Deal
From @TimKellySports https://t.co/NhK7fYJAL4
