MLB: 5 AL clubs on the search for a DH in 2017

MLB teams in the American League are given a distinct advantage on offense with the employment of an everyday designated hitter. These five squads need to reassess things before next April.

MLB clubs that certainly used this spot properly in their lineup throughout 2016 were of course Boston with Big Papi, Toronto with mostly Edwin Encarnacion, Seattle with Nelson Cruz, Cleveland with a healthy blend of Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana and lastly, Baltimore with a combination of Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo.

All five of those MLB teams finished in the top five of the league when it comes to fWAR productivity by a designated hitter. What’s alarming is that a team like the Dodgers, playing only 20 inter-league games and employing a DH in 10 of those away contests, had more productivity than 10 AL teams did at the position.

However, beyond 2016, even some of those teams will have concerns. David Ortiz is set to retire, while Encarnacion and Jose Bautista will hit free agency. In fact, of all the DH’s listed above, Cruz is the only one currently under contract through 2017.

Suffice it to say, there will be a comfortable market for teams looking to spend and sign themselves a DH this winter. That means four of these contenders from 2016 will also be looking to address a glaring hole in their lineup for next season.

However, the five most desperate teams for productivity from a DH in 2017 stems from ineptitude in 2016.

Here are five MLB organizations that should be taking a different approach to their designated hitter spot in 2017.