MLBTR continues its position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. Before we move on to the pitching, we’ll wrap up the offensive group by looking at the designated hitters. Every position player technically could play DH, of course, but the vast majority of the class has been covered in one of our prior positional previews. We’ll limit this look to players who are either primary designated hitters or took at least 200 plate appearances at the position this year. Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2026 season.
Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, center field, corner outfield
Top of the Class
Kyle Schwarber (33)
With the exception of Shohei Ohtani, Schwarber is the top free agent designated hitter in years. He’s going to become the first pure DH to sign a nine-figure contract after blasting an NL-best 56 home runs and leading MLB with 132 runs driven in. Schwarber played in all 162 games and batted .240/.365/.563 over 724 trips to the plate.
Schwarber hit 38+ homers in all four seasons of the free agent contract he’d signed with Philadelphia. He’s going to strike out a lot, but he’s among the five best power hitters in the sport. He’s also adored in the Philly clubhouse, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made no secret about their desire to keep him. Schwarber is going to decline a qualifying offer and should be in position for a four-year contract that pays more than $25MM annually. There’s a non-zero chance that a team stretches to five years to push the overall guarantee above $130MM.
Regular DH Options
Josh Bell (33)
The ever streaky Bell alternated bad and excellent months throughout the season. He had a .730 OPS or below in each of April, June and August while posting an .860 or better in May, July and September. The end result was a .239/.326/.421 batting line with 22 home runs across 533 plate appearances. For all his inconsistency within seasons, Bell has reliably ended up as a slightly above-average hitter in each of the past three years. He should command another one-year deal.
Starling Marte (37)
After consecutive seasons of declining production, Marte had a bit of a rebound in a part-time role for the Mets. He hit .270/.335/.410 over 329 plate appearances. Marte only hit seven homers and isn’t the kind of power bat that teams will want as an everyday DH, but he can take 250-300 at-bats while playing a part-time corner outfield role.
Andrew McCutchen (39)
Cutch has signed a series of one-year, $5MM deals with the Pirates over the past few seasons. This year’s .239/.333/.367 line with 13 homers is his worst production of his three-year second stint in Pittsburgh. McCutchen still has a strong awareness of the strike zone, but he’s no longer a threat for 25-30 homers at this stage of his career. It seems likely he’ll work out another cheap one-year deal with the Bucs.
Marcell Ozuna (35)
Ozuna is the cheap alternative to Schwarber as a true everyday designated hitter. He’s only one season removed from being one of the sport’s best offensive players. Ozuna combined for 79 home runs with a .289/.364/.552 slash between 2023-24. He’s coming off an underwhelming walk year at age 34, as he regressed to a .232/.355/.400 batting line with 21 homers over 592 trips to the plate. It’s still above-average offensive output but not great production for a player who hasn’t logged a single inning on defense in two years.
The in-season trend lines were not encouraging. Ozuna hit .280/.426/.457 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts through the end of May. For a while, he looked as if he’d be one of the best rental hitters available at the trade deadline. He then went through a three-month slog in which he hit .185/.300/.362 over 278 plate appearances. That killed any chance of the Braves getting more than marginal salary relief, so they kept him for the stretch run. Ozuna rebounded somewhat to hit .261 in September, but he struck out at a 32% clip and only connected on one home run in the season’s final month. He’ll be limited to a one-year deal that might be half of the $16MM salary he collected this past season.
Jorge Polanco (32)
Polanco’s contract technically contains a $6MM player option, but he’s going to decline that and hit free agency. The Mariners surprisingly re-signed him on the heels of a disappointing 2024 season. Seattle attributed the down year to a knee injury through which he’d played that required postseason meniscus surgery. They’ve been proven right with a resurgent year from the switch-hitting infielder. Polanco drilled 26 homers and 30 doubles with a .265/.326/.495 line.
While Polanco can still hit, he’ll face questions about his defensive workload over 162 games. Seattle initially planned to play him at third base, believing that not needing to navigate the second base bag would be easier on his knee. That lasted five games before renewed soreness and an oblique injury led the M’s to use him as a full-time designated hitter for a while. He began mixing in second base work in June and played there regularly for the final three weeks of the season. He’s a long shot candidate for a qualifying offer but will likely hit free agency without draft compensation. He should get at least a two-year deal and has a chance for three.
Bench Bats
Wilmer Flores (34)
Flores got out to a strong start to the season, popping seven home runs with a penchant for clutch hits in April. He had a pedestrian .245/.315/.365 batting line from the beginning of May onwards. Flores has made a career as a versatile defender who hits left-handed pitching, but he’s essentially limited to DH and first base at this point. He only has a .228/.278/.371 slash against southpaws over the past two seasons and may need to take a minor league deal.
Mitch Garver (35)
Garver logged nearly 400 innings behind the plate as Cal Raleigh’s backup. The Mariners signed him with the expectation that he’d be their primary designated hitter, but he hit .187/.290/.341 in 201 games over two seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Justin Turner (41)
Turner got $6MM from the Cubs last offseason to work as a veteran righty bat off the bench. He hit .219/.288/.314 over 80 games in his age-40 season and is probably looking at a minor league deal if he continues playing.
Jesse Winker (32)
Winker landed a $7.5MM guarantee to re-sign with the Mets last offseason. He’ll probably be limited to minor league offers this winter after oblique and back injuries limited him to 26 games.
Player Options
Joc Pederson (34)
Pederson will exercise a $16.5MM player option with Texas after hitting .181/.285/.328 over 306 plate appearances. The Rangers will need a huge rebound from a player who’d hit .275/.393/.515 with the Diamondbacks in 2024.
Jorge was insane down the stretch I’d have to think he’d get offered a QO and decline it
Not a chance.
Pete should probably be on this list.
They won’t offer it because if they did he would definitely take it. QO is a high amount that most players would gladly select. I think he will be a good addition to another club next year.
Bye Wilmer. He’s been solid for the Giants for a long time, but there’s no roster spot next year. He’ll probably get a major league deal from someone… might have to wait til spring training to get it.
If he doesn’t get a big league offer somewhere, I hope he gets a minor league offer from the Giants, maybe even as a player/coach. Keep him in the organization. He’s an asset.
Besides Schwarber, I’d take the 20 something year old on a rookie deal
Only Kyle Schwarber will be able to soften the blow of Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers/Yankees
Schwarber is a guy who’s received a ton of short term under market value deals and I think it is time he gets to cash in. If he’s signed to 3 years/$105M or 4 years/$110M that’d be incredibly fair.
If someone signs him to 5 years/$130M I guess they really wanted to save a few million a year to potentially be stuck with someone a year or two past their prime…
It’s crazy how much money guys on the down turn who are scuffling through their playing time can make off past success and the over valued ‘veteran presence’ (I am speaking primarily of Joc Pederson, but it applies in general.
5/130 would be an overpay but I still can’t see how the Phillies would let him go instead of matching that offer.
This is why I think if the Phillies really want to keep him or if anybody wants him, a shorter term higher AAV deal is the way to go.
Honestly- 4 years/$160M wouldn’t be an insane deal, given that he was clearly underpaid by data-based WAR value and by unscientific eye-test value.
I am not a Phillies fan- nothing against them, just not my team- and I wouldn’t be crazy about my team signing him, but in principle I hope he gets $100M+ on any given deal.
If My Team did sign him, I’d rather they go 2 years/$100M than extra years at a lower AAV. That’s my concern. His long term durability and consistency.
But- that’s a lot of cheap-o fan GM/Owner arguments against paying any player for any reason and the game earns enough money from these guys that if a guy has earned a certain AAV or a certain level of guaranteed money, I think teams should suck up the potential down years on the back half or last year or two of a deal, because these players and their veteran status- fans getting to watch them year after year after year- is absolutely a huge aspect of their value to the sport/league/business of baseball, aside from their year to year on-field performances.
Schwarber is one of those guys who’s actually been paid quite fairly for his performances year over year, but he also just seems like a Fan Favorite and that counts for something, too, a bit like when veterans are paid for their “club house presence” or “veteran leadership” as much as their current performance.
Do you really think that Kyle Schwarber is worth $50 M a year?
No, I do not, I never said I did. What I said was he’s earned a $100M+ deal and with that in mind, I’d rather a team pay him $50M a year for 2 years than to stretch that out over extra seasons and be stuck with him on the roster, etc. if he craters as he hits that very risky threshold of age 34.
Lets say 2 years/$80M w/ a $10M signing bonus and a $10M buyout on a $40M club option, etc. so it’s $100M guaranteed but a $40M AAV.
Trill
I think you value Schwarber a bit too much. I don’t think it matters. I could see him walking into the head office having 3 contracts. 1 for 2 years $20 mill per. The next 3 years $25 $20 $18 mill per and the final 4 years $25 $22 $20 and the last year $15. If the Phillies want him they can pick the length of the deals or they can add years with player and team option years.
He will take a lower amount from a team he is comfortable with. He will make enough he never has to worry about anything. He will also be with a team that is comfortable with him. When players make this much money I don’t see why they would take a contract on a team they know little about. Be in the confines of a place you know. A place you will be happy and have fun your lasts years with them.
Really?
meanings of words change from generation to generation…..I guess.
Please define:
Insane
Stupid
To be fair, Schwarber has kinda leveled up in his 30s. With the Cubs he was more of a 30 HR, mediocre OBP guy. Which is solid but not amazing, especially with him moving to DH. He wasn’t a 50 HR beast until he got to Philly.
Suggesting that Starling Marte can play the OF nearly half the time is awfully generous. Maybe even fantasy. He is just terrible out there. And let’s consider that DHing most of his games might be what enabled him to stay healthy for the first time in three years. No. He is just not an OF anymore.
If Marte is healthy he’s serviceable in the OF. His arm is still strong, but he doesn’t have the range or the wheels any more. By all accounts he’s a great teammate, dugout and locker room presence. You could certainly do a lot worse than him, and he can be had on a cheap one year deal.
I’m not seeing it. For openers, why would any team believe that Marte can stay healthy if he plays the field 70+ games a year?
And he had poor to no range in LF. His arm is weak for RF and has been for a couple of years now. Teams made it their strategy to run on him, going first-to-third on him all day. Not just speedsters, even players with average and below average speed. He’s a power-deficient DH only who can, at best, play the OF in emergencies. Cheap deal or not, the number of teams that can spend a roster space on such a player are few.
“If Marte is healthy” is an enormous ‘if.’ He hasn’t played more than 100 games since 2022 and hasn’t appeared in more than 120 contests since 2019. His defense was already going downhill in 2023 and 2023, with -13 defensive runs saved and outs above average in 1382 innings. His once elite speed is gone and was in the 28th percentile of sprint speed this year.
Ozuna played the second half of the season with an injured hip, and his output suffered. That said, he will take a big cut in AAV.
Not really second half; it was March,June-Sept. and he only slugged .436 in May. He was overly passive and his obp supplemented his lack of slugging. And for a guy that runs like molasses, it’s not impressive.
But, agreed on the pay cut.
I’m a Phillies fan, but I am 50–50 on Schwarber. The Phillies are at the point where the regular season doesn’t mean a thing. They need to win in the playoffs and Kyle has proven for years now that he cannot be counted on in the playoffs. I think it’s time the Phillies shift some things around.
Chubby Kyle in the mid 2010s on Chicago was built different
If they lose Schwarber, their lineup would be average at best. They would rank somewhere from 7th to 10th in the NL in runs scored.
phillies1993 That assumes they do not replace him with anybody. But what if they do get someone who replaces some of Shcwarber’s production… enough to make them 4th or 5th in the NL in offense. Still good enough to make the playoffs, and the difference in money can be used to upgrade elsewhere. We can’t look at these things in a vacuum.
he has a .930 OPS in postseason play with the Phillies
He has hit 14 home runs and has hit 197 in post season play with the Phillies.
He has hit his peak.
He is worth a lot of money if he can continue to hit near 56 home runs each year for four years.
What are the chances of that happening?
Is JD Martinez still looking for a team ? Does he have anything left in the tank? Maybe he should just hang up his hat and go fishing.
Luke Voit has been staying healthy and is primed for a return to MLB. Miquel Sano can’t be finished either.
Eloy Jimenez looking to be up with The Blue Jays this coming year.
Voit signed recently with the NPB.
The more and more I see Schwarber’s name out there, I really hope the Red Sox make a big push to sign this guy. The is the definition of reliable power, and high OBP. 724 AB’s this season. Plays every day, and mashes. Should have an opportunity with the Red Sox lineup in front of him to rack in 150 RBIs and 100 runs scored. Big opportunity to bring him back to Fenway and make a serious run. Sign him early so a couple of those big name pitchers will want to pitch on a team with some serious runs scoring potential. Every pitcher loves pitching with a lead.
As a Phillies fan, the Red Sox are the main team I fear signing him away from us.
The Phillies will almost certainly match/top any offer out there. Nothing has pointed toward Schwarber wanting a change of scenery, but it’s always a possibility.
“With the exception of Shohei Ohtani, Schwarber is the top free agent designated hitter in years. ”
Ohtani also, famously, pitches.
And your point is?? This is an article strictly about Designated Hitters. No, Schwarber doesn’t pitch. However, none of the others mentioned on this list pitch either. Are you arguing that Schwarber shouldn’t be the top ranked free agent DH available? Outside of Ohtani, has there been a better DH available in the past few years?
Why so ornery? Its pretty plain that he is saying that Schwarber and Ohtani do not warrant comparison because Ohtani also pitches (well). And he’s right.
Ohtani isn’t just a designated hitter – is the point.
He provides massive defensive value
And the Pirates can’t do another 0.1 WAR season with Cutch
But they will for the nostalgia since they’re not spending coin
If they don’t let him field, he could be 1+ WAR.
He mad +2 defensive runs saved this year and made some nice plays. If anything, his solid fielding for 7 games caused him to be just enough to stay over the replacement level line.
It is time to move on from Cutch.
They will show whether they are serious about adding hitters if they resign him.
Boston needs a big bat that gets on base. I think reuniting Kyle Schwarber with the Sox completes the team pretty much if they also re-sign Bregman.
I remember when so many experts said stay away from Kyle
At this point, I’d classify Cutch as more of a bench/platoon bat than a regular. He’s 38, he’s coming off his worst season, and only played outfield earlier this year when Bryan Reynolds was on paternaty leave. Even if-and-or-when he returns to the Pirates, I hope they use him in more of a platoon role than a regular.
I am surprised not to see Ryan O’Hearn. But looking over the season he was actually not DHing as much as I thought this year. Just under the number of needed PAs.