Max Kepler just became the answer to a trivia question nobody wanted to win.
The free agent outfielder was suspended 80 games Friday after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance. He's the first MLB player suspended for this particular compound since the league started publicly announcing drug violations in 2005.
Here's the twist: Kepler hit .216 with an .691 OPS last season. Whatever he was taking, it wasn't exactly turning him into Barry Bonds.
The 32-year-old spent 2025 with the Phillies on a one-year, $10 million deal after a decade with the Minnesota Twins. He managed 18 home runs and 52 RBIs across 127 games—decent enough production for a platoon outfielder, but hardly numbers that scream "illegal assistance."
MLB worked out a settlement that allows Kepler to serve his suspension even without signing a new contract. His 2025 playing time with Philadelphia will count toward the 80-game penalty. He remains ineligible for the 2026 postseason regardless.
This is where the story gets grimly practical. Kepler was already facing a tough free agent market as a 33-year-old (in February) coming off a down year. Now he won't be available until well past the midpoint of the 2026 season, and even if he performs well in the second half, he can't play in October.
Teams that might have taken a flier on him for outfield depth suddenly have no reason to bother. The timing couldn't have been worse.
Kepler accepted the suspension without contesting it through a grievance, according to the Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from his agency.
Pittsburgh says Skenes isn't going anywhere (for now)
While Kepler deals with the consequences of his choices, Paul Skenes is dealing with the consequences of being really, really good.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner met up with Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Buffalo last weekend—two reigning award winners exchanging jerseys and presumably comparing notes on what it's like to be the best at what you do. The MLB account posted the moment with the caption: "Reigning NL Cy Young 🤝 Reigning NFL MVP."
Nice photo op. But the real story surrounding Skenes is what the Pirates are doing around him.
Pittsburgh has been busy. They acquired second baseman Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay, signed first baseman/DH Ryan O'Hearn and reliever Gregory Soto, and are reportedly still pursuing Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto. For a franchise with a reputation for pinching pennies, this qualifies as an offensive.
GM Ben Cherington has been unequivocal: "Paul Skenes is going to be a Pirate in 2026." That's about as definitive as front office speak gets.
The math, however, tells a different story long-term. Skenes will earn around $850,000 this year in his final pre-arbitration season. After 2026, he becomes arbitration-eligible. After 2029, he's a free agent. The Pirates have historically struggled to keep stars through that timeline.
For now, though, they're making moves to surround their 23-year-old ace with actual major league talent. Whether that continues once Skenes gets expensive remains to be seen.
Bregman's market is tightening
Three-time All-Star Alex Bregman remains unsigned, and his landing spot is getting murkier by the week.
The Blue Jays signed Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto last week, which seemed to take Toronto off the Bregman board. The Diamondbacks announced they're keeping Ketel Marte rather than trading him to create payroll space for Bregman. The Cubs are still interested but haven't committed.
That leaves Boston as the favorite—sort of. ESPN's Buster Olney reported the Red Sox made an "aggressive offer" to re-sign Bregman, who opted out of his three-year deal after just one season. USA Today's Bob Nightengale called Boston the frontrunner.
Bregman hit .273 with an .822 OPS, 18 homers, and 62 RBIs in 114 games for the Red Sox last year. He made the All-Star team and provided the veteran leadership a young clubhouse needed. Manager Alex Cora loved having him.
"The leadership part of it is real. The player is real. The defense is amazing. He's a good dude," Cora said on the Section 10 Podcast in November. "He actually embraced the whole Boston thing."
Bregman reportedly wants a six-year deal. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected something around five years, $170 million. The Tigers offered six years, $171.5 million last winter, and Bregman turned it down for the shorter Boston deal with opt-outs.
Now he's 31 and the market is slower than expected. Sometimes the bet on yourself works out. Sometimes you're scrambling in early January.
Other quick takes
The World Baseball Classic is shaping up to be the most talent-rich version ever. Both Cy Young winners—Skenes for the NL, Tarik Skubal for the AL—will pitch for Team USA. Shohei Ohtani will suit up for Japan again. Twenty national teams, multiple international sites, and genuine star power throughout.
Tarik Skubal, speaking of, remains at the center of trade speculation. The Tigers may or may not move him before his contract expires after 2026. Meanwhile, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers is reportedly generating even more trade interest, largely because Milwaukee is paying him just $8 million next season.
Spring training opens in six weeks. The hot stove has been a slow burn this winter, but the pressure is building. Eventually, these free agents have to sign somewhere.
The question is whether the somewhere makes sense—or whether players like Bregman settle for less than they expected because the market never materialized.
That's baseball in January. Patience tested. Leverage shifting. And sometimes, like with Kepler, consequences arriving at the worst possible moment.