Padres: Free Agent Targets for Universal DH in 2020

We look at some free agents still out there that the San Diego Padres could target to help fill the DH spot that will be implemented in 2020.

The San Diego Padres and the rest of the National League will likely be playing by a new set of rules in a shortened 2020 season.

A universal DH is very close to being approved for the 2020, and there’s a pretty good chance it will stick around past 2020.

With that in mind let’s look at some inhouse options for the DH on the Padres and a couple of free agents still available who could work.

A combination of Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and Josh Naylor seem like obvious inhouse fits to be the team’s DH in 2020.

Hosmer has struggled defensively at first — and quite frankly at the plate as well — but he still hits pretty well against righties, so the Padres could use him as the DH against right-handed pitchers.

I guess in that scenario it just depends on who you trust more at first base. You could either put Naylor or Hosmer at first against righties and have the other one DH.

As bad as Hosmer has been at first, I think I’d still take him there over Naylor.

Looking externally, MLB Trade Rumors put out the top six free agents who teams could look for as a DH in 2020. That list includes Yasiel Puig, Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo, Melky Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez, and Lucas Duda.

There is only one name on that list that really interests me, and that’s obviously Puig. A lot of people thought the Padres should have already gone after Puig this past offseason (or is this still the offseason.?).

Whatever your misgivings are about Puig, I think he would give this lineup a huge boost, and I think he could even be the team’s starting right fielder.

He hit .267 last year with 24 home runs and an OPS of .785. Myers hit .239 in 2019 with 18 home runs and an OPS of .739.

Either way, you’d then have two solid right-handed options to put in the lineup against leties and you’d be able to stick one in the DH spot — although I think both are fine defensively.

Trumbo is intriguing if the Padres wanted to take a low-cost flier on a player as he has tremendous power from the right side of the plate (if healthy).

Let me know in the comments below who you think should be the Padres DH during the 2020 season and possibly beyond.