MLB Stars Who'd Benefit the Most from NL Adopting the DH
In what would be a major boon for aging sluggers such as Jose Bautista, the designated hitter could soon be arriving in a National League city near you.
According to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the adoption of the DH in the Senior Circuit looms as a potential discussion point for the upcoming round of collective bargaining talks.
"Twenty years ago, when you talked to NL owners about the DH, you'd think you were talking some sort of heretical comment," Manfred cracked, per ESPN.com, during the owners meetings in January.
"But we have a newer group," he continued. "There has been turnover, and I think our owners in general have demonstrated a willingness to change the game in ways that we think would be good for the fans, always respecting the history and traditions of the sport."
Adding the DH to the NL would also be good for guys such as Joey Bats. Like many of the players on this list, Bautista is a free agent-to-be who would have even more leverage on the open market if 30 teams—rather than 15—employed a full-time DH.
After all, clubs would feel a lot more comfortable dishing out a multiyear deal to Bautista, who turns 36 in October, if they knew he could spend at least part of his time in the DH spot.
While 2017 free agents dominate the list, there's also room for a few prominent players who could put up even bigger offensive numbers if they could reduce their current defensive responsibilities.
C Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
1 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 29
The San Francisco Giants have a ton of money invested in Buster Posey.
Between now and the end of 2021, the Giants will be paying the superstar $127 million. If the DH comes to the NL, San Francisco would be able to spell the catcher at that position on a regular basis and would stand to maximize its investment in the right-handed hitter.
Already, the brass at AT&T Park has been planning ahead with Posey, who turns 29 at the end of March. In 2015, Posey started 106 contests behind the dish—his lowest total since 2011 (41)—and 37 games at first base (his highest total ever).
The days at first are clearly paying dividends for Posey. While many catchers wilt down the stretch, the three-time All-Star enjoyed a strong second half, posting a .323 average and an .813 OPS.
1B/DH Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers
2 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 31
Prince Fielder, the reigning AL Comeback Player of the Year, has his stock up after a disastrous 2014 season, which was marred by a neck injury.
But even after Fielder swung at a clip of .305 with 23 jacks in 2015, the Texas Rangers wouldn't mind getting out from under the vet's remaining salary: "Hearing Rangers surveying clubs' interest in picking up bulk of Fielder's contract. Not getting much response," Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweeted during the winter meetings.
It's easy enough to understand why clubs would be reluctant to take on Fielder's deal, as the Rangers owe him $90 million between now and the end of 2020. What's more, the 31-year-old, who started just 18 games at first base in 2015, has morphed into a full-time DH.
However, if the DH were to come to the NL, the Rangers would be able to double the size of the market they have been surveying—so far to no avail.
DH Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
3 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 32
For Kendrys Morales, there's no serious rush for the NL to adopt the DH.
The Cuban, who thumped 22 homers and drove in 106 runs for the Kansas City Royals during the season that was, is under contract for $9 million in 2016 and has a mutual option for $11 million in 2017.
But it sure would help Morales' case if he could offer his services to all 30 clubs when he becomes a free agent—either at the end of 2016 or 2017.
If his upcoming season with the World Series champs mirrors his 2015, there's an excellent chance Morales will be declining his $11 million mutual option and instead seeking out a more lucrative payday in free agency next winter.
.png?w=256)
RF Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
4 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 35
Thanks to his violently powerful swing, Jose Bautista has built up a status as one of the premier sources of pop.
Leave it to Jayson Stark of ESPN to provide the cold-hard numbers: "Over the last six seasons...he has led the majors with 227 home runs and ranks second only to Miguel Cabrera in slugging (.555) and OPS (.945)."
With that kind of resume, Joey Bats is going to be one popular dude when he headlines the free-agent market next winter. The only concern for suitors is the longtime Toronto Blue Jays right fielder turns 36 in October.
Considering his age, it seems like it's only a matter of time before the Dominican shifts to the DH role on either a part-time or regular basis. As a result, Bautista's market for multiyear payouts will be limited to AL franchises.
1B Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
5 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 35
Slated to become a free agent at season's end, Mark Teixeira has a lot on the line in 2016.
After hammering 31 homers last season, Tex earned an endorsement from his boss, general manager Brian Cashman.
"If he stays healthy, he's one of the best players at his position in the game," Cashman told Mike Francesa on WFAN (via Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media). "He was fantastic, and he's entering his free-agent walk year, too, and I know he's hungry. I know he still wants to play."
That's a spot-on assessment from Cashman, especially when it comes to the "staying healthy" caveat. Over the past four seasons, Teixeira has never played in more than 123 games.
Set to turn 36 in April, there's no question Teixeira's chances of snagging a multiyear contract would be improved significantly if NL teams were able to employ him as a DH.
DH Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays
6 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 33
Like fellow bash brother Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion is on the verge of hitting the free-agent market.
As Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reported, the two-time All-Star has told the club he won't be talking about a new deal during the upcoming campaign: "Encarnacion's camp has already told the Jays that if he does not have a new contract by Opening Day, he will become a free agent—with the Jays, of course, still having an opportunity to compete."
But there sure would be a lot of competition.
Encarnacion, who turned 33 in January, has clubbed at least 34 home runs and posted an OPS of .900 or higher in each of the last four seasons.
Even with those lofty numbers, Encarnacion's representatives will have a tricky task pitching their client to NL teams, as the vet has been spending the majority of his time as the DH. Last season, Encarnacion started just 59 games at first base.
LF Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
7 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 36
There's no guarantee Matt Holliday will be hitting free agency at the end of the season.
After injuries wrecked his 2015, the St. Louis Cardinals left fielder will be playing on a $17 million salary with a team option for the same amount the season after that.
According to Mark Saxon of ESPN, Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny expects a "ridiculous year" from Holliday after he tallied just four homers in 73 games last season.
Since Holliday just turned 36 in January, the best way to get ridiculous production would be to get him out of left field. Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Red Birds have been teaching Holliday to play first base this winter. A shift to the DH role would be even better for the seven-time All-Star.
3B Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
8 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 36
Adrian Beltre is entering the final season of his six-year, $96 million pact with the Texas Rangers, but it's no lock the third baseman will make it to the open market.
"I want to be on a team that wants to win, and they showed me that they want to win," Beltre said, per Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. "If they want me, I guess I will probably be here."
If Beltre does make it to the open market, it would only help his negotiating position with the Rangers (and other clubs) if NL teams were able to pursue him as a third baseman and part-time DH.
After all, time as a DH will be in Beltre's not-too-distant future. The Dominican had surgery on his left thumb at the end of October and turns 37 during the first week of the season.
RF/DH Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees
9 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 38
Who knows whether Carlos Beltran will still even be in the bigs if and when the DH arrives in the NL?
As the Puerto Rican vet explained to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News, he's yet to decide whether he'll play beyond the end of 2016:
"I'm just concentrating on just this year. Because I have a responsibility of one more year on my contract, so, I just want to really put myself in a position where I can help this ballclub. And, at the end of the year, I will decide what's going to happen based on the year that I put this year, and if physically I feel like I want to play one more, then I would love to.
"
That's a shrewd plan of action from the right fielder (and sometimes DH), who turns 39 at the end of April. The way he played last season (19 homers and an .808 OPS), it's not out of the question to think Beltran could be a quality big leaguer for a couple more seasons.
And like so many other players on this list, Beltran's chances of landing a gig next winter would be drastically increased if all 30 clubs had a DH.
LF Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
10 of 10
2016 Opening Day Age: 34
Josh Hamilton can afford to be patient.
The left fielder, who appeared in just 50 games in 2015 for the Texas Rangers, is under contract for each of the next two seasons at $28.4 million per year (with the Los Angeles Angels on the hook for $26.4 each year).
But when he does become a free agent at the end of 2017, it would be convenient for the oft-injured left fielder if he could look for full-time jobs as a DH with AL and NL teams.
The big issue is his balky left knee. Hamilton has undergone two surgeries on that knee since September, but GM Jon Daniels insisted, per Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that the second operation "wasn't a major structural repair."
Major or not, the best way for Hamilton to extend his career is to put the glove aside and focus his attention on doing damage in the batter's box.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
.png?w=480)
