When it finally does get done, every expectation is that both leagues will finally be playing by the same rules for the first time since 1972.
Every team in baseball will be allowed to DH for its pitcher every game, regardless of opponent, joining basically every other level of organized baseball.
It should be noted that the days of the DH specialist like Travis Hafner and David Ortiz are mostly in the past, save for a few exceptions, and instead most teams employ a variety of DHs in order to keep several position players fresh through the season.
Martinez in 2017 seeking a full-time outfield job while saying he was willing to DH, even if he’d rather mostly play the field.
Now he won’t really have that choice and while he might want to play the field, it helps him financially that any NL suitors will know they have the option to use him like the Red Sox did J.D.
Using nearly any defensive metric that factors in range, Michael Conforto has rated out very poorly these last several years and in some he’s gotten drastically worse.
Still, the possibility of using Schwarber mostly at DH with spot starts in left field and/or first base will be much more attractive now to NL teams than before the rule change.
He was hitting just .192 with a 76 OPS+ last season when the Royals traded him to the Braves as an afterthought in front of the deadline.
His last three full seasons were 2017-19 and he hit .284 with a 114 OPS+ in those seasons while averaging 31 doubles, 28 homers, 88 RBI and 86 runs per year.
Anthony Rizzo remains a superb defensive first baseman — his offense has left him more than his defense in recent years — and he should be playing the field whenever possible, but there’s an indirect trickle-down effect here.
This isn’t to say the Phillies are interested in Rizzo, will be, should be or anything else.
It’s just that now the market for teams employing the designated hitter went from 15 to 30 teams. Since playing eight games for the Brewers in his 2005 debut season, Cruz has spent the rest of his career in the American League.
He has plenty of power and can crush righties, though, so getting a job where he can find multiple starts a week in the outfield and at DH isn’t out of the question.
Corey Dickerson is obviously down the list of priorities for most teams at this point, but he did post a 110 OPS+ with the Blue Jays after being acquired via trade last July.
Dan Vogelbach shouldn’t be a regular starter for anyone at this point, but his raw power is off the charts and the lefty has a career .357 on-base percentage against righties .