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Atlanta Braves: here’s an adjustment that Alex Anthopoulos might quickly get annoyed with

By Alan Carpenter

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 06: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks breaks his bat but gets an infield single in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 06: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks breaks his bat but gets an infield single in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The biggest difference in the two leagues now?  It’s either ‘glove required’ or ‘glove optional’… and that can make a big difference.

For the first several years in the baseball career of new Atlanta Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, the American League was his home domain.

If he had a player who could hit, but became a defensive liability, then no problem – there’s a designated hitter slot available in the lineup.

That’s been the difference in the two leagues for over four decades now, but it’s a difference that has seemed to become more pronounced in the last few years, particularly when discussing big hitters with big contracts as they physically start to break down.

This Winter, we’ve already seen Anthopoulos manage his way through a storm caused by this very problem:  the entire deal involving Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez revolved around the fact that neither can do very much defensively any more.

But around baseball, this is hardly the only example. Here’s some of the typical quotes you’ll see:

In a story entitled: ‘Kyle Schwarber draws interest from Red Sox – report’ (12/10/2017):

"It has long been thought that Schwarber’s all-bat-no-glove style would be much better suited for the designated-hitter role in the American League."

In a story from 2016 entitled: ‘MLB trade rumors: Yankees will trade Carlos Beltran, AL exec predicts’ (7/31/2016):

"“Playing Beltran in the field is probably your biggest concern, so he probably fits better in the American League at this point, not that he couldn’t go to a National League team,” the exec said. “He’s still respectable in right field, but it’s not ideal.”"

In all of the discussions about free agent “outfielder” J.D. Martinez, most stories suggest the same kind of thing – that he’d be able to play an outfield position, but not for the long term, and thus roughly 15 teams have been all but eliminated as potential suitors for Martinez – despite his bat.

Reasons this inequity is bad for baseball

  • There’s only so many DH roles available.  Originally, the MLB Players’ Association was all over the idea of a DH – it effectively extended the careers of numerous players who might not otherwise have played.  But now, it seems that some players are being over-looked and given an early exit specifically because they can’t do anything on the field.
  • The National League is frozen out on several players.  Want Shohei Ohtani on your club?  Your chances were better if you were in the AL (and on the West Coast, but that’s a geography problem).  Need a bat?  The above list indicates the scope of the problem.  You might need a hitter, but you also have to consider his field presence.
  • Want to trade a player?  With analytics taking on such an important role today, defensive metrics are coming into play, and those could nix deals with the NL when your guy has age catching up with him.
  • Agents advocating for their free agent clients have to scramble when this situation bites them, too.  Of course, seeing Scott Boras demand $200+ million for Martinez is almost comical given that (at the moment) only Boston is interested – and they are smart enough not to bid against themselves.

More from Tomahawk Take

I am actually a bit surprised that the MLBPA hasn’t come out and started trying to publicly lay the groundwork for bringing the Designated Hitter to the NL and unifying the rules between leagues.

I am still personally against the DH rule – period.  But I am also a realist.  This abomination was introduced in 1973 and it’s fully entrenched throughout baseball.  About the only times you don’t see this rule employed in advanced baseball ranks are:  (a) in National League parks; and (b) when two different NL affiliates hook up in minor league action.

Thus, I’d rather see the NL use the DH just so that the playing field for certain free agents is leveled.  It would help National League clubs to compete better.  Heck, it could have extended Chipper Jones‘ career a couple more years in Atlanta.

This is essentially my annual rant against the DH… but also with the resignation that it’s inevitable.  But the real issue now involves the team construction issues come up when not having a DH.

Next: The City of Brotherly Cash Flow

As it stands, Anthopoulos just lost a big bat in Matt Kemp.  Replacing that offense – which was good as times – is not going to be easy.

Especially since he wants solid defense to go with it.

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