In looking ahead to next winter’s crop of free agents, we’ve already profiled the catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen and center fielders who figure to be available (barring extensions between the time the transaction freeze is lifted and the free-agent market opens).
Next year’s market is a bit unique in that it features a few more pure designated hitters than one might expect to find in a given offseason. While it’s true that any player can function as a DH and that some teams prefer not to dedicate just one slugger to that DH position, most of the players in this bucket will only be considered by American League clubs that have ample DH opportunities available. Since there aren’t many on the list, I won’t bother breaking them down into tiers…
- Nelson Cruz: The Boomstick will turn 41 in July of 2021, but he remains one of MLB’s most potent hitters. His 2019 season in Minnesota featured a .311/.392/.639 slash with 41 big flies and 26 doubles. Cruz has played all of nine games in the outfield since the conclusion of the 2016 season and didn’t play so much as an inning of defense with the Twins last year. He and the Twins had reportedly talked about a new deal prior to the transaction freeze, so it’s possible they’ll tack on another year to his time with the “Bomba Squad.”
- J.D. Martinez: JDM chose not to opt out of the remaining three years and $62.5MM on his Red Sox deal at the beginning of this past offseason, but he has another opt out this winter. With two years and $38.75MM left on the deal, a return to the open market seems more plausible this time around — assuming some form of season is played. Martinez has hit .317/.392/.593 with 79 homers, 70 doubles and four triples in two years with Boston, where he’s made 200 appearances as DH. He’ll be 33 in 2021.
- Edwin Encarnacion: The White Sox hold a $12MM option ($2MM buyout) on the 37-year-old slugger, so like Martinez, he might not actually reach the market. Encarnacion has belted at least 34 home runs in each season since 2012, but he hasn’t logged even a half season’s worth of innings at first base since 2014. He’ll split time with Jose Abreu between first and DH with the ChiSox, but it’s highly unlikely that any team would sign Encarnacion as a full-time first baseman heading into what would be his age-38 season.
- Shin-Soo Choo: In fairness to Choo, he split his time between DH and the outfield corners pretty evenly last year … but the results weren’t pretty. Choo’s -17 Defensive Runs Saved, -14.1 UZR/150 and -12 Outs Above Average were among the worst marks for any outfielder in the game. He’ll turn 39 in July of 2021, and there’s little reason to expect a late renaissance with the glove. Choo is still an OBP-machine with some pop in his bat, though; last year he batted .265/.371/.455 with 24 dingers, and he even swiped 15 bases as well.
- Hunter Pence: An NL team did sign Pence, so perhaps he’s not quite restricted to DH work, but Pence is a clear bat-first player at this point. The Rangers game him 46 starts at DH — hence Choo playing in the outfield as much as he did — and it probably would’ve been more were they not rotating the two veteran sluggers. A resurgent Pence slashed .297/.358/.552 and smacked 18 dingers in 316 plate appearances last year after reworking his swing in the Dominican Winter League. If he hits again in 2019, someone will have interest in adding that bat and that personality to the roster. He’ll turn 38 next April.
You could certainly argue others have a place on this list — someone might roll the dice on a 35-year-old Yoenis Cespedes or a 34-year-old Jay Bruce in this role — but this quintet’s 2019 production and general track record make them the likeliest DH targets for clubs seeking a short-term jolt in the lineup.
good ol’ Juicestick
Edwin hit 32 in 2018
Nelson Cruz and EE barely got more than 12M guaranteed AAV after .870+ OPS, 130 OPS+ seasons. JDM would need to get back into that 160-170 OPS+ range to even consider opting out. Especially considering the lack teams willing to drop big money plus having the need for a DH
I think the Rays could be a good fit, save that they’re cheap. They have a weakness at DH, though, and JDM would be a huge upgrade. For the difference that would make, it’s cheaper than plugging a few other holes with small upgrades.
Yep, plus the shutdown might tighten up FA money.
No way any team beats the $19.35 million he gets from the Red Sox period! He will finish the five years with the Red Sox unless the National League starts using the DH.
My sister is a teacher who gets 3 months off in the summer, week in the spring, one at Thanksgiving, and two at Christmas, so she works 8 MONTHS A YEAR! She complains she is under paid. I say she is paid 2/3 for working 2/3 of a year. Same goes for the DH position. David Ortiz was under paid based on his production, but even the best DH, ever in my opinion, could not compensate for the fact that he only played half the game. Why I am so sure JD will not opt out……
Teachers get three months of for summer, tops. Here they get 2.5. And they get paid crap, even if you prorate it. In Finland they pay teachers like doctors, about 100K (they pay for doctor’s education and malpractice, so doctors can’t complain that they have to bear those costs). And they are ranked number 1 in education. If we paid teachers more we could attract and keep the best. And really isn’t that the best way to develop a world-class set of adults/workforce? Top education. It works for private school kids. Pay teachers on the cheap, you get cheap education. You get cheap education, you get a poor workforce and an under-educated nation of adults.
If you think teachers only work when they are at the school, you’re badly mistaken.
You are in the wrong state! A teacher in California starting his/her teaching career at 22 can retire at 62 and receive 100% of pay and medical paid for life!!!! If this teacher’s final pay was $50,000 per year, which is average to low, and living until age 82 would receive $1,000,000 in pension plus full paid medical.
I spend 20 years as a securities teaching state employee how to use their pension. (4000 meetings over 100,000 teachers)!!!!!
Teachers in the US are vastly underpaid. An elementary school teacher in Canada will pull in 6 figures per in less than 20 years
And yet teachers in Ontario Canada were on a rotating strike asking for higher wages (they rejected smaller class sizes so they’re asking for more money above all else). As Mo4ever said, higher wages means higher educations.
As usual, he is wrong.
Pence wasn’t brought back because he was an improvement over other available outfield choices (he’s really not). He was brought back because he’s a giants fan favorite whose signing in an anticipated sub-.500 season was designed to counter the attendance falloff they saw last year.
Choo used to have a cannon for an arm in RF but a low baseball IQ. He loved to sit back and play the bounce instead of making a play on it. Still remember the time Cliff Lee lost a no no late in the game as Choo made no effort and played the rebound.
anyone else open up all the stories on baseball trade rumours to support their ad revenue stream?! let’s do it!
it helps that they have great content even during this time
If that’s true that’s a good idea
I do it because otherwise I’m going to absolutely go insane with boredom.
It’s my impression that players with opt outs are less likely to opt out even if part of the season is played. I just don’t see teams spending quite as they did this off season this next off season. I suppose a counter point to that is the fact teams may want to bring in a big name player who opted out to fill seats.
Before the shutdown I thought it was pretty likely JD might opt out with just 38m over 2y and him still crushing at 33yo. Now? I don’t know. Let’s not forget his agent is well known for trying things that often don’t work for anything other than top tier FA, which JD isn’t any longer. Opting out would be a gamble should half to more of the season be lost and every team take huge financial losses. it’s not his money after all.
dh in nl!
Or pitchers can put down the video game controller and work in the cages.
I’d be ok with it for this year, particularly for games on the ST fields, but I’m still against the idea becoming permanent. It’s one of baseball’s quirks and I like it the way it is. (And yes, I realize it’s probably coming eventually.)
i agree with the entirety of this comment
Agreed. No need to see the pitcher hit.
No.
I wonder how many offers Cruz will receive. Yes, he has defeated father time so far, but possibly one whole year off from seeing live pitching could negatively impact the older hitters moreso than anyone else.
One time Choo was playing right field against the Royals in (I think) 2017, and it was bottom of the 9th Royals and Rangers were tied, and Lorenzo Cain came up with the bases loaded (2 outs). He hit a routine ball to right, but the sun got in Choo’s eyes, and he dropped the ball. It was a walkoff error. That was the day I wanted Choo to just play dh, and even though he has made some good plays in the field, dh is his position.
And I wanted him to not play the field anymore when I watched him nonchalantly play a ball off the hop with a no-no on the line late in the game. You hustle, you dive, you go through the fence if you have to at that point. Dumb ball player, dumber person. Same guy that once got a DUI because he stopped and asked a cop if he could follow him home since he was lost; then he started swerving all over the road and picked up the DUI.
Even if Cruz continues hitting homeruns and such he still won’t go into the HOF because of that tarnish on his career of cheating.
If it’s not in both leagues it’s not a real positions
Hitters that cannot field is a better category
The Red Sox gotta resign J.D. You do not have Mookie or David Price now. Sign JDM…
I doubt they will, but would be nice. I think they’ll go QO and let him walk
It is not the Red Sox choice to make. JD has the right to either opt-in or opt-out
I’ve always thought Choo was underrated, however I think this is the end of line as far as regular AB’s. Definitely would have to be in AL, don’t see a team being willing to slot him at DH everyday in favor of resting guys