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?

Tommy Pham primarily served as the Padres DH in spring training

Tommy Pham was expected to be the everyday left fielder this season, and that’s not to say he still won’t serve in that capacity. But I do have concerns that his arm – a partially torn UCL that Pham played through – is fully healed.

Pham, himself, indicated that if the Rays weren’t in a playoff race at the end of the 2019 campaign, he would have sat out.

“One thousand percent,’’ Pham told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s frustrating. I’ve never played like this.’’

And while his .281 average in September suggested no impacts to his game, Pham had just one home run and a season-low .393 slugging percentage.

The condition of Pham’s arm will be one of the more interesting storylines when Spring Training 2.0 begins on Friday. He’s no stranger to the DH, primarily playing in that role back in March.

If his arm is not fully healed, moving Pham to DH keeps his plate discipline in the lineup while also allowing the opportunity for someone like Trammell or Cordero to have regular playing time.

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.