Proposed rule change: Who'd DH for Pirates?

It is a probability, not just a possibility, that when baseball returns in 2020, a fresh batch of rule changes will come with it.

The MLB suspended operations a little over a month ago amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the season might not begin until June or July. When games resume, it will likely look very different than what we have become accustomed to. The league is considering starting the season in either each team's spring training facilities or just Arizona in order to minimize the risk of players and coaches contracting or spreading COVID-19. A new location will give the league the perfect opportunity to implement some new rules, and a few have been floated around.

One such proposal is the adoption of a universal designated hitter. This is most prevalent in the plan for every team to play in their spring training facilities, forgoing the American and National League for Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. This would result in drastic league and division realignment, with NL and AL teams playing in the same division. If that happened, everyone would use the DH.

Keeping the DH out of the NL is, ultimately, a losing battle. There was talk of implementing as early as the 2021 campaign or it being negotiated as part of the next collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2022 season. While some pitchers love to bat, most do not, and many new major-leaguers tend to only get a few swings during their development in the minors because of how prevalent the DH is. The NL fought the good fight for nearly 50 years, but change is imminent. Perhaps not in 2020 or 2021, but soon.

Pirates pitchers might not miss throwing to their counterparts. Last year they allowed a .374 OPS to opposing pitchers. While that is really bad, according to the Play Index, that was the worst OPS any NL staff had against pitchers. Yes, facing another hitter will hurt the staff overall, but they weren't taking great advantage of that free out.

Looking at the Pirates 40-man roster, though, adding a designated hitter would most likely help the defense more than the offense. They don't really have that masher on the bench or in triple-A who is just looking for a spot. Instead, they have a couple minor-league Gold Glovers looking to break through to the majors, but they are currently blocked by two hitters who combined for 196 RBI in 2019.

Every potential starter currently in the lineup brings value as either a hitter or fielder, but for a team that emphasized defense in the offseason, getting another good glove on the diamond would only help. If this rule change went into effect for 2020, who would be the Pirates' designate hitter?

GREGORY POLANCO

The number one concern with Polanco this year is staying healthy. He's been battered with shoulder and hamstring problems throughout his career, but has raked when not held back with ailments. He and Josh Bell are the only true power hitters in the lineup, so the Pirates really need him to for a full season.

“He extends our lineup completely,” Derek Shelton said when Polanco reported to camp in February. “When he’s been here and he’s been healthy, he’s been a really good player.”

Polanco rehabbed his left shoulder six days a week during the offseason, and Shelton was cautious with his right fielder once the games started, using him mostly as a DH early in spring to ease him back. It made sense to be cautious, especially in the early weeks of spring training, but it also might have tipped Shelton's hand on what he would do if he had a regular DH. Polanco still got some reps in the field and could play in right, but if the goal is to keep his bat in the lineup, why risk another injury in the field. Yes, his shoulder injury stemmed from a bad slide into second base, but keeping him as a hitter first will put less wear and tear on his body.

The trade-off is the Pirates are rather thin in the outfield, so they don't have a true replacement. While Guillermo Heredia has a good track record hitting lefties and could be a good platoon option, he would need someone to partner with. Jason Martin and Kevin Kramer are both left-handed swingers who could fill that role, but neither was expected to make the major-league team to start the year before the shutdown. That could change with the forecasted roster expansion, though.

There's a good chance that if Polanco is still in the league five years from now, he would be a DH. Keeping that bat in the lineup is a priority for this team and for him, and being a DH might be the best way to do that.

JOSH BELL



No player on the Pirates' 40-man roster is in a tougher spot than Will Craig. A former first-round pick, Craig was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, signaling he is on the cusp of being ready for the majors.

The problem is the Pirates already have an All-Star at first base, so unless Bell is hurt or traded, there really isn't a spot for Craig. In either of those scenarios, the Pirates would be in a very bad spot, so Craig would not be coming into an ideal situation.

Bell did a lot of work this offseason to rework his throwing mechanics, changing his arm slot to change his arm path. He also happens to be quite good at picking throws in the dirt, an extremely valuable skill for a first baseman. Even with that in mind, he was regarded as one of the worst defensive first basemen last year, finishing with -8 defensive runs saved (DRS). That was marginally better than his -13 DRS in 2018, so he is trending in the right direction, but it is clear that if the Pirates want to maximize his value, he would be better off playing in the field less.

Craig, on the other hand, won a minor-league Gold Glove in 2019. Despite being drafted as a third baseman, he has excelled since shifting across the diamond. He drove in over 100 runs in 2018 for Altoona and routinely got the ball in the air, but took a step back after making the jump to triple-A last year. Craig came into camp in  better shape this year, dropping 25 pounds so he could be a viable option in right field. While that could lead to an opportunity in the majors for him, it would also mean one of the team's best fielders would be playing out of position, which is obviously less than ideal when presented with the DH alternative.

COLIN MORAN

Like Bell, Moran does not have a good defensive reputation and the Pirates have a triple-A Gold Glover waiting in the wings. The difference here is this Gold Glover is Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is regarded as one of the best major-league ready prospects in baseball. Unlike Craig, Hayes could usurp the incumbent, leaving Moran without a position. If there is major-league baseball in 2020, Hayes will be a part of it.

An NL DH might be Moran's last best chance at sticking with the Pirates. There have been stretches these past two seasons where he has looked like a solid middle of the order bat, but on the whole, he has turned in two pedestrian offensive seasons, which considering he is a platoon and poor fielder, that's not enough to keep his job safe from Hayes.

One of the goals of this new coaching and management regime is to get the most out of players who may have underachieved in years past. Moran was once a highly ranked prospect in a deep Astros farm system. By giving him a regular spot in the lineup and not having him look over his shoulder at a platoon or replacement could be beneficial to his psyche and approach.

As for Hayes, while his glove is without question major-league ready, there is some doubt about his bat. He struggled in triple-A for most of 2019 before getting hot in August and September. He was hitting the ball hard during spring games, but had a hard time getting lift on his line drives until he and hitting coach Rick Eckstein worked on a few mechanical changes, namely that he was jumping out of his backload early.

He showed off his tweaked swing on Mar. 6, and his first swing resulted in a majestic home run.

“To see it right in the first at-bat, see it working, it’s a really good feeling," Hayes told me that afternoon.

There's a case to be made that Hayes is at the point in his development where he doesn't need to be in the minors any longer, but instead needs to work with major-league coaches. An NL DH would open up a spot in the lineup while not casting Moran aside.

KEVIN NEWMAN

This is a bit of an unusual pick, as Newman is fine with the glove. He might not win many games with his leather, but he won't cost many either, which is fair when considering what he brings to the team as a hitter.

However, the Pirates have a bit of a logjam with middle infielders at the moment. Newman finished second on the team with 3.1 WAR a year ago. Adam Frazier was considered the best defensive second baseman in the league last year by Baseball Savant, and while streaky at the dish, was an overall fairly average hitter.

Then there is Cole Tucker, one of the Pirates' top minor-leaguers who, once again, is defensively gifted. He also doesn't have a spot on this team. Frazier was the subject of some light trade talks during the MLB Winter Meetings, which could be more serious this offseason if Ben Cherington opts to rebuild. If he does, then Newman could slide over to second base and open up a spot for Tucker.

But there is an obvious benefit of getting a sneak preview at Tucker before committing to him. Tucker may be an expected part of the Pirates' future, but until he gets regular playing time at that show, they won't know if that faith is justified. This could be a unique opportunity to give him that shot. If he does well and shows he is ready to stick in the majors, it could give the Pirates the confidence to either trade Frazier or move one of the three to a new position. If he struggles, the Pirates then have options. They are no rush to move Frazier, so they could hang onto him, evaluate Tucker's future, see if they still feel comfortable playing Oneil Cruz at short, and so on.

Newman isn't a liability defensively, but a middle of the lineup defense of Frazier, Tucker, Jarrod Dyson in center and Jacob Stallings behind the plate would be one of the best in baseball.

OTHER OPTIONS

Jose Osuna is probably the best choice to slide a bench player in as DH. While he had better results against right-handers last year (an .849 OPS compared to a .612 vs. lefties), he struck the ball harder against southpaws (a 90.1 mph average exit velocity vs. an 88.7 mph against righties). Perhaps he is best suited as a platoon DH option with someone like Moran, which would also give him a chance to be a backup for the corner infield and outfield spots.

But perhaps the most likely is there is no formal DH. This is going to be a much more compact season, meaning more double-headers and less off-days. The DH could be a way to keep Polanco's, Bell's and Bryan Reynolds' bats in the lineup while not overworking them. That would create more opportunities for backups and utility players like Kramer and JT Riddle, and the other minor-leaguers mentioned in this article.

There would be obvious advantages for the Pirates if they got to use a DH for 2020 and beyond, but it comes at the cost of an NL tradition. With that said, Shelton and Cherington had both been with American League teams exclusively before coming to Pittsburgh. If any NL club has a leg up on how to use to the DH, it would be the Pirates.