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.
5. Houston Astros – fWAR 0.7
Possible Replacements: Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran
It’s a funny thing, but Evan Gattis was far more productive in the lineup as a catcher in 2016 than he was DH’ing.
El Oso Blanco hit .295/.345/.647 in 52 games and 190 at-bats at catcher with 19 home runs and 41 RBI. In more GP and ABs at DH (71/251), he hit less home runs (13) and drove in fewer base runners (31). His slash numbers took an even bigger hit, with a .219/.298/.410 slash line.
Given Gattis’ dWAR of 0.0 and the other catcher on the roster, Jason Castro, posting a 0.4 dWAR, there’s little separating these two defensively. Houston will look to re-sign Castro, who offers little in the way of offense with .210/.307/.377, 11 HR and 32 RBI numbers this year.
Bautista’s right-handed swing might be taylor-made for Minute Maid Park’s left field wall. He’s a liability in the outfield with his glove and turns 36 before the end of October. A full-time move to DH with an AL club for his next contract makes a lot of sense. Doing so would allow the Astros to spell Gattis at catcher and first base, as he’s proven he hits better when he plays defensively in games.
Another solution for a one year fix might be Beltran, who proved at 39, that he can still tear the cover off the ball (.295-29-93). The likely future Hall of Famer has stated he will either retire following 2016, or explore options for a one year deal.
A 19 year veteran, Beltran has never won a World Series and is probably anxious to do so. He trails only Ruth and Gehrig in lifetime postseason OPS. Houston has proven to be a contender in the AL West the last two seasons and may well have the pieces again to compete in 2017. Beltran could be a great fit for a one and done.
4. New York Yankees – fWAR 0.5
Possible Replacements: Anyone under the sun
Speaking of Carlos Beltran, he started more games in right field (58) than he did at DH (34) for the Yankees in 2016.
Brian McCann‘s lack of power in the DH spot with only three home runs and a .747 OPS in 106 at-bats did the club no favors, while A-Rod’s somber end to a long and storied career served merely as a sideshow once he stopped getting starts at DH.
The Yankees acquired Billy Butler in mid-September after he was released by Oakland. Pending a transaction, Butler will likely return to the club in 2017 and could serve some time at DH or 1B with Mark Teixeira retiring.
Country Breakfast hit .345 with one home run and four RBI in 12 games to close out the season with New York. Given his massive flop with Oakland and the fact even Billy Beane saw little value in retaining the services of the soon to be 31-year-old, it’s likely Brian Cashman won’t be banking on huge results from him either in 2017.
The Yankees will probably throw money at this problem. Two pending free agents who were once division rivals of New York, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, should be on the front office’s radar following the postseason.
The same goes for Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales or anyone else for that matter. New York may just give a position player a lucrative enough contract that they become a full-time DH in 2017 and beyond. Matt Holliday, anyone?
3. Oakland Athletics – fWAR 0.2
Possible Replacements: Adam Lind or within the organization/via trade
Oakland has never been a team to throw a lot of money at a problem. Doing so with Billy Butler has probably discouraged the front office even more so from taking that approach in the future.
The club used 10 different designated hitters this past year, with little to show for it. They finished in the bottom third of the AL in home runs (11th), runs batted in (13th), batting average (13th), on-base plus slugging percentage (13th) and on-base percentage (14th).
This will be a tough hole to fill and frankly, the A’s are a bit of a mess at the moment. Despite losing Butler, they did retain the services of Danny Valencia, who is arbitration eligible in 2017.
With the emergence of Ryon Healy at third base and wrapping up AL Player of the Month honors for September (.336-7-20), it’s possible Valencia could move into near full-time duties at DH in 2017.
After a promising 2015, Mark Canha struggled mightily this time around by hitting .122/.140/.341 before hip surgery ended his season.
Someone like Adam Lind could give Oakland value for a modest rate. Benefits of signing him would be he’s already familiar with parks and pitching inside the division. He’s versatile enough to play first base and he could spell Valencia well, who excels against LHP. Lind has hit RHP .287 in his career, compared to only .215 when facing LHP.
2. Chicago White Sox – fWAR 0.0
Possible Replacements: Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo, Brandon Moss
Robin Ventura is out, so it will be interesting to see how that shakes up the organization’s direction moving forward. Himself a third baseman by trade in his playing days, the former skipper probably had some mixed feelings about newcomer Todd Frazier at third base in 2016.
Frazier will likely stay at that position and with the White Sox as he’s not eligible for free agency until 2018. Despite 40 homers and 98 RBI, the 30-year-old set new career lows in batting average and on-base percentage. He slashed .225/.302/.464. His poor AVG in 2016 actually dropped his career batting line from .257 to .250.
He should bounce back in 2017 during a contract year. Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton and Melky Cabrera all had solid seasons at the dish and should be back next year. Tim Anderson looks fairly promising as the shortstop of the future for Chicago.
At DH, Ventura mainly used Avisail Garcia (61 GP) and Justin Morneau (51 GP). As a whole, the position hit .251 with 16 HR and 71 RBI. Where it struggled most was with extra base hits, slugging only .397, third worst in the AL.
Chicago should have some wiggle room with their payroll when it comes to signing an impact bat to be their DH in 2017 and possibly beyond. The club as a whole hit left-handers 15 points better in 2016 than righties. Addressing that hole with a new designated hitter should be the focus.
1. Tampa Bay Rays – fWAR -0.4
Possible Replacements: Kendrys Morales, Josh Reddick
Corey Dickerson showed what moving away from the Coors Field affect can do to a hitter’s game. In 148 games with the Rays (61 at DH), he hit .245/.293/.469. The power, with 24 home runs, was still on par with his Colorado postings, but he slashed a combined .309/.354/.556 from 2014-15 with the Rockies. Quite the fall off.
This was a very futile spot for the Tampa Bay Rays in the lineup. Detrimental even, when you consider the negative fWAR. Logan Morrison and Steve Pearce ‘chipped’ in a bit here and there as well, but not a lot of productivity came from the DH. That’s a problem in the AL East with the likes of Ortiz, Edwin and Trumbo leading the way at the position throughout all of MLB.
The Rays didn’t even get productive outs from the DH role. They had the second most strikeouts in the AL with 168, after the Twins. Even worse, Tampa’s DH had only one sacrifice fly all season long at the dish.
As with the A’s, budgetary constraints are typically something the Rays have to work around when it comes to free agency. Players like Encarnacion and Trumbo might be too big of fish to land, but they could find value in a switch hitter like Kendrys Morales, who made under $10 million salary in 2016.
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Within the organization might be a tough find. Pearce was traded back to Baltimore, Morrison is slated for free agency and hit only .238-14-43 in 107 games and Dickerson should be the everyday left fielder in 2017.