The Cheap DH Cycle

While the market for relief pitchers has been brisk, there’s one group of players that have generally been ignored so far this winter – designated hitters. Thanks to the glut of available bat-only players, teams with open spots at DH have been content to sit around and let the off-season play out, and so it looks like we’ll head into January with a half dozen or so designated hitters still looking for jobs; Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Johnny Damon, Russell Branyan, and for a team with a serious appetite for risk, Nick Johnson. Those six guys are essentially going to play musical chairs for the last few remaining starting jobs on AL teams. The Rays, Blue Jays, Twins, and Rangers will almost certainly each land one of these six, leaving two others without dance partners and having to settle for a part-time role. Johnson seems like the most obvious candidate to head to camp fighting for playing time, but barring a surprising move from another t...