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.