Padres: Three less obvious DH candidates for 2020

Wil Myers and Josh Naylor figure to make the most sense in the DH role. Who else on the Padres could see time there?

When baseball returns at the end of July – and hopefully it is safe enough to do so – one of the most beneficial caveats for the Padres in return-to-play plan is the addition of the designated hitter.

It had long been rumored as being potentially included as part of the league’s next collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire after the 2021 season. And while baseball traditionalists won’t be fond of the idea, it’s certainly going to benefit the Padres in the upcoming 60-game season.

Aside from no longer having to watch the pitcher strike out with runners-in-scoring-position, having the DH opens up some doors on the Padres roster, one that could have been challenging to find playing time for everyone under normal circumstances.

Wil Myers and Josh Naylor would appear to be the most obvious solutions to transition into the designated hitter role. Utilizing Myers in that capacity would allow Franchy Cordero regular playing time, assuming he remains healthy, of course. The move could also accommodate the impending promotion of Taylor Trammell, who performed well in Spring Training.

Cordero could potentially be a candidate as well, but other than Myers, Josh Naylor makes the most sense as the team’s designated hitter. The former Marlins farmhand hit .269 with eight home runs and 19 RBI in the second half last year, and his .936 fielding percentage further justifies the transition.

Who are some other less obvious candidates that could see time as the designated hitter in 2020?

Francisco Mejia could be the Padres DH on days he’s not catching

How the Padres are going to split time between Francisco Mejia and Austin Hedges behind the dish is one of the items that we’ll be keeping a close tab on when the season begins. Hedges is fantastic, defensively, but falls well short pretty much everywhere else.

This could be his last year in San Diego if he fails to prove why the Padres took him so early in the 2011 MLB Draft, albeit in a 60-game game. No pressure, kid.

But the Padres making a trade for Mejia in July 2018 and drafting Luis Campusano in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft officially put the heat on Hedges to perform.

Mejia hit .265 in 79 games last year and a robust .348 with four home runs and seven RBI in August while making 22 appearances, including 17 starts behind the plate. Having the DH available to the National League will be invaluable to the Padres, who can slot Mejia into that role on days that Hedges is catching.

As previously noted, Chris Paddack is likely to benefit most, as he posted a 2.55 ERA with Hedges catching for him compared to a 5.18 ERA with Mejia. Dinelson Lamet would likely do fine with either one, as displayed by his .214 and .230 average against with Hedges and Mejia, respectively.

Brian Dozier could carve out a role for himself as the DH

Signed just days before the first round of exhibition games, Brian Dozier was expected to add depth to the second base position when the designated hitter had not yet been introduced.

But with a crowded infield and Jurickson Profar likely to have a firm grasp on second base – with spot starts coming from Jake Cronenworth, Greg Garcia, and others – it will be difficult to envision Dozier receiving regular playing time.

The 33-year-old is coming off a down year with the Nationals. In 135 games, Dozier hit .238, but his production (20 home runs and 50 RBI) made him nearly league average with a 95 OPS+.

He’s now three years removed from a .271/.359/.498 slash line with 34 home runs and 93 RBI, but I parallel his potential transition in the DH role to Nelson Cruz. The former Ranges and Orioles star converted to the DH during his age 33 season, which began a string of All-Star selections MVP considerations.

I’m not saying that Dozier is Cruz or vice versa, but you remove an element that a player has to focus on in fielding the ball, and he mashes at the plate. A similar course could happen for Dozier, but it would seem to make sense for him to serve as the designated hitter on days the Padres face a lefty.

Over his career, Dozier has a .270/.354/.500 line against lefties, and this would be a logical starting point as a means for him to receive playing time. Then adjust from there if he experiences success.