Rob Manfred's announcement of a Universal DH earlier this week came with welcome responses from both players and fans. It was a long and overdue rule that should have been implemented a while ago. But now with it here, it could affect how the Guardians construct their roster.
The Guardians have not been known to be major players in free agency in the past. They usually make minor deals to fill in holes where the front office sees fit and rely on their farm system to produce their stars. However, this may become a lot more difficult for the front office to do because they now have to compete with 15 more teams for offensive-focused free agents. This includes many veteran bats that have seen their defensive production start to fall off, but still can contribute at the plate. In the past, these players may not have drawn interest from National League teams because of their defensive ability, but the new position in the National League will put these players in high demand. This makes signing them a more difficult task for the Guardians.
Current National League rosters are not constructed for a designated hitter and some teams will be looking to acquire one ahead of the 2022 season. Some National League teams may have similar struggles as the Guardians could with signing players because of the increased market and roster payroll. To get a DH, they may look to trade with American League teams who have more flexible rosters in terms of a DH. Right now the Guardians' DH is Franmil Reyes and it is pretty hard to imagine the team letting him go after hitting .254 with 30 home runs in 2021. But if a team comes calling about a player who could fill in at DH, such as Bobby Bradley or Josh Naylor, will the front office listen?
The implementation of a Universal DH is a great thing for baseball. It will hopefully improve offense around the league and opens up a larger market for players who are later in their career and have seen their defensive ability decline. But for the Guardians, who rely on that market to fill out their roster, it could create new challenges for the front office when building their roster.
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