MLBTR continues its position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. Before we move on to the pitching, we’ll wrap up the offensive group by looking at the designated hitters. Every position player technically could play DH, of course, but the vast majority of the class has been covered in one of our prior positional previews. We’ll limit this look to players who are either DH-only or have taken at least 150 plate appearances at the position this year.
Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2025 season. Stats are through play on September 25. Only players who have appeared in the majors this year are included.
Other Entries: Catcher | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Base | Center Field | Corner Outfield
Regulars
- Josh Bell (32)
Bell had a rough first few months, hitting .239/.305/.394 in 104 games with the Marlins. He has found his stride after a deadline trade to Arizona, where he carries a .281/.363/.439 slash with five homers through 161 trips to the plate. The aggregate production is still middling — a league average .250/.320/.406 line with very poor defensive grades — but Bell is finishing the season on a high note. He has been a streaky hitter throughout his career who can hit in the middle third of a lineup when he’s at his best.
- J.D. Martinez (37)
Martinez lingered in free agency before signing a heavily deferred $12MM contract with the Mets. Martinez had a typically strong first half, carrying a .263/.349/.457 line into the All-Star Break. His bat has absolutely cratered down the stretch, especially this month. Martinez is hitting .194/.276/.339 in the second half — including a staggering .068/.180/.091 line in September. The overall slash line is alright — .234/.318/.407 with 16 homers across 482 plate appearances — but the finish to the season is a red flag.
- Andrew McCutchen (38)
McCutchen has hit 20 homers with a slightly above-average .236/.333/.418 line across 507 plate appearances. That’s not huge production out of a DH, but McCutchen has still been one of the better performers in a light Pittsburgh lineup. He’s a franchise icon who has made clear he wants to finish his career in the Steel City. McCutchen plans to play again next season and it feels like only a matter of time before he and the Bucs hammer out a new deal — probably for something close to this year’s $5MM salary.
- Joc Pederson (33)
The D-Backs signed Pederson to a $12.5MM deal last winter. That’s a hefty investment in a DH-only player who almost never faces lefty pitching. Yet the Snakes certainly have no regrets. They brought in Pederson to mash against right-handed pitching and he has more than held up his end of the bargain. He’s hitting .284/.394/.538 with 22 homers through 401 plate appearances versus righties. Pederson will probably decline his end of a $14MM mutual option in favor of a $3MM buyout. He’s a candidate for a multi-year deal.
- Justin Turner (40)
Turner is primarily a DH but can rotate through the corner infield spots. He had a fairly modest .256/.350/.372 showing over 91 games with Toronto. It looked as if he might be slowing down at age 39, but he has found another gear since being traded at the deadline. Turner owns a .263/.360/.397 slash with five home runs in 46 games with Seattle — impressive output in a home park that has stymied a lot of the M’s offensive acquisitions. By measure of wRC+, Turner has been 15 percentage points above league average at the plate. That’s slightly better than last year’s .276/.345/.455 showing with the Red Sox. Turner got $13MM last offseason and still hasn’t dropped off.
- Jesse Winker (31)
Winker hit .257/.374/.419 over 379 plate appearances for the Nationals after signing a minor league deal. Washington flipped him to the Mets, where his production has tailed off (.248/.317/.372 in 46 games). Winker is a below-average defensive left fielder who doesn’t do much against lefty pitching. It’s a limited profile as a platoon corner/DH bat, but he’s hitting .260/.366/.425 against righties this season and has an excellent track record against right-handers.
Depth
- Matt Carpenter (39)
Carpenter has played a veteran mentor role in his return to the Cardinals. He has made 56 appearances and turned in a .238/.322/.385 slash across 150 trips to the plate. Teams aren’t going to view Carpenter as a primary designated hitter, but he could find interest in a bench role. He told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week that he hopes to continue playing.
- Daniel Vogelbach (32)
Vogelbach, who was a league average hitter for the Mets last season, appeared in 31 games for the Blue Jays early this year. He hit .186/.278/.300 and was released in June. He’s a minor league deal candidate.
Club Options
- Marcell Ozuna (34)
Ozuna’s four-year free agent deal with the Braves came with a $16MM club option or a $1M buyout. Ozuna has had a monster year, carrying an Atlanta lineup that has often floundered around him. He’s one homer away from getting to 40 for a second straight year. Ozuna has a .310/.384/.561 slash across 667 plate appearances. Carrying Ozuna and Jorge Soler on the same roster for a full season isn’t ideal, but that’s something the Braves can sort out after making the easy call to exercise the option.
- Eloy Jiménez (28)
If Ozuna’s option is a lock to be exercised, Jiménez’s is just as easy a decision in the opposite direction. The Orioles will buy this out for $1.5MM in lieu of a $16.5MM salary. Jiménez will collect a $3MM buyout overall; the White Sox are also on the hook for $1.5MM as part of the deadline deal that sent him to Baltimore. Jiménez looked like a burgeoning slugger early in his career. Injuries have set him back and his production has tanked this year. He’s hitting .238/.289/.336 across 349 plate appearances. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A on Tuesday.
- Ryan O’Hearn (31)
The Orioles hold an $8MM option for next season. O’Hearn’s strong first half made that look like a clear bargain. The left-handed hitter went into the All-Star Break with a .274/.335/.456 line with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His plate discipline is still strong but his power has dissipated in the second half. He only has two homers with a .240/.327/.351 line since the Break. Baltimore should have a lot of payroll flexibility and could bet on O’Hearn to bounce back, but this is more of a borderline call than it seemed six weeks ago.
Not a lot of great options…
Pederson looks pretty good, that’s a lot of production for close to 400 ab’s. Martinez might be a budget bounce back candidate. The rest… yea.
Hopefully JDM and Turner linger in free agency selfishly speaking. If the Sox are able to trade their excess lefty bats including Yoshida, a budget reunion with either for DHing (assuming Devers isn’t penciled in therefore 25) makes sense. It’s the kind of budget move that if you hit, either it helps the team produce or if not allows you to help replenish the farm for depth at the deadline.
Pirates fans didn’t know how to get Josh Bell in the lineup when I was pounding the drum for a reunion at the deadline…
Lol
Pirates fans hate Josh bell and I still don’t know why
But I’m not a pirates fan so I don’t know nothing
Ask a Pirate fan if they liked the Josh Bell trade or did Cherington get enough in return? I haven’t found a single person say yes so if they don’t like Josh Bell it’s news to me. Not one person said it was a awful trade but i am glad he is gone, couldn’t stand the guy. Big dude with dreads who seemed soft spoken and nice. Don’t know why anyone wouldn’t like him unless they knew him personally and he was a real jerk. They didn’t like that he would hit like babe ruth for a month then like josh van meter for 2 months. That’s about the only dislike.
He’s a frustrating player to watch. He’s consistently good during one half of the year, but then bad the other half. He always feels like he’s on the verge of a full season breakout, but really has only done that once in 2019 in his career. Even then, it was a very roller coaster year, looking like a MVP-caliber hitter in the first two months, was barely league average in June and July, then was better, albiet not in his April-May form in August and Sept. His first base defense is hard to watch. Had trouble making throws, had trouble making picks, worst DRS and thrid worst in outs above average since he debuted in 2016 and when you watch him, it’s clear why he’s so despised by defensive metrics. Me personally, I wouldn’t hate bringing him back, but they should aim higher for first base.
@mlb1225:
When he was with Cleveland it looked like he was just getting ready to breakout multiple times during the season, but never did. I agree that he’s a frustrating player to watch. He just seems like one of those players that should be better than he is.
That sumarizes it perfectly. He’ll have stretches where he looks like a Silver Slugger, then go into a huge slump for an extended period. With his defense, those rough stretches are even rougher.
A marginal upgrade over Tellez wouldn’t have done much of anything. If he could play an outfield corner, sure, but he can barely play first. 1B is open next year, maybe they bring him back in?? I want people to look at lists like this and the 1B free agents when they complain about spending money for a big bat. They are few and far between.
If they chose Jazz instead of BDLC, and moved Cruz to CF (which worked) to accommodate him at short., then we’d be talking, but no sense getting worn out over what if scenarios. And how a simple trade like getting rid of Martin Perez made the fifth starter role a game of russian roulette. JJ took a long time to come back and was inconsistent and relying on that bum Marco was silly.
There was no spot. Cutch is the dh period. Josh Bell isn’t a 1b. Could put him there but Rowdy had a 900 something ops in June July. Unless a hall of famer was available you aren’t replacing 900 ops. Rowdy had 800 ops in August. In September well who cares season was over by then.
Cutch had 1100 ops in August. So pirates had superior players at both positions Bell could be played.
Is Cutch the DH next year? There are better/less sentimental players available. When does winning matter?
Pirates? Winning? What does that mean?
Pirates are at their best when they win 70 games (they are lucky if they get close to 80) and then rebuild after that
They play for profit not to win
Never. $ is all that matters in Pittsburgh. If spending more money means more winning than winning is a bonus but only because it means more $. There at that point now because of the starting rotation and Cruz Bart. If you brought in some exciting free agents or made some big trades attendance could go from 1.6m to 2 or 2.3m to get or keep attendance up they will make trades and go 100m payroll but once the window closes it’s back down to 50m. Nutting makes similar $ with 50m payroll 1.5 attendance as 100m payroll 2.3 attendance. So no reason to spend unless it means winning which means attendance increase. Some teams spend to get good Pirates only spend when they are good because they make a bit more $ and have chance of home playoff games.
Cutch is absolutely the DH next year. 90 some percent certain probably closer to 100. What better options are available? Cutch can still hit, for power, run, work pitchers exceptionally well. Will sign a 1 year deal 5 6 7 million. Will actually be few million less with his marketing value. Who’s better that can only play dh? If there is someone it’s a short list.
Just like the folks on the local forums, never any solutions for what they think are problems. Who are these players that are upgrades? Pederson sure would be nice, but if he wants over 12m, maybe?? Bell? JDM, Turner? I’d rather stick with the known commodity who loves the area instead of lateral move for a similar player. I do wish he can play outfield once a week or so but it’s ok.
“He’s a candidate for a multi-year deal.” That eliminates Pederson.
“Turner got $13MM last offseason and still hasn’t dropped off.” That’s a no on Turner.
Cutch is cheap. Franchise icon. Fans believe he can still play. Not bringing him back wouldn’t go over well. It would take someone drastically better.
Pirates get free agents no one else wants. They don’t just have to match other teams offers or beat them. They have to beat them by a significant amount. They would rather win. Not have to move at trade deadline. Certainly don’t want to be dfa 4 abs away from their bonus.
Cutch actually had a very respectable season.
Slot Bell in at 1B and move him to DH when Cutch inevitably misses some time or suits up for the rare RF appearance.
I don’t see Bell as an issue at 1B and is far superior in all aspects than Rowdy.
While it’s obvious that players like Christian Walker or Paul Goldschmidt present a bigger upgrade at 1B , Bell could realistically fit the Pirates payroll, while adding a much needed switch-hitting power bat the lineup
Anytime Josh Bell is on top of a list you know it’s gonna be a long day. Ahahaha!
It’s the Pirates lol
I’d much prefer Christian Walker or Ozuna
Ozuna actually is questionable to return to Atlanta. Not only do they have to worry abou Soler clogging the roster, they may also have to put Ronald Acuna Jr. at DH because of 2 ACL tears and horrid OF defense even when healthy.
Not a good situation for Atlanta.
They’ll pick up the option regardless. He has trade value.
A team with a massive payroll and WS aspirations will not let a bat as good as his simply leave for that price. If anything, they pick it up and trade him, or just trade Soler again?? They can accommodate his salary and the redundancy of two DH’s.
Running back the old WS team was a stupid deadline idea IMO but what to I know.
You owe Nashville Jeff bridges a new keyboard. He just spit out his drink reading this comment. 40 hrs hitting over 300 for 16 million? Even Bob Nutting picks up that option. Ozuna can play ss or cf hitting like that. They will find a spot for him or at worst trade him I guess.
Ozuna is an MVP candidate. He’ll be back.
Regrettably they will likely have to play Soler in the outfield. Acuña coming off the ACL and may not be ready opening day. On top of that Kelenic has been very inconsistent. Looking like Soler is in line for a lot of LF (at least for about 7 innings)
Kelenic could be a non-tender.
I bashed Matt Carpenter a lot three years ago. So I am here to give him his due. He still gives you a professional at bat and doesn’t require regular at bats to be ready. He’s a fringe guy, but he could be a valuable fringe guy. He’s not a fit for the Cardinals because we need the roster spot for young players, but he could be a fit for an emerging team that needs a veteran bat. I’m looking at you Detroit.
He’s a well below average dh. Amazing time with Yankees but I won’t expect anything like that again. Time to hang em up.
He’s not a starter for sure. But he’s an above average bench bat. In an emergency he could go on the field and play 1B, 2B, 3B, and LF. He has ML experience at all of those positions. But mostly he is a LH hitter who draws walks at a 10%+ clip. Those guys are playable forever. Detroit, Seattle, KC, and Milwaukee could all use him.
He’s a below average player unless he is a good defender somewhere. Only in a emergency isn’t enough. If he’s not your starting dh it’s hard to have a bench player that can’t play the field. He doesn’t have bat speed, doesn’t hit the ball hard, can’t run, strikes out. Walking isn’t enough. Pinch hit with him and if he doesn’t strike out and draws a walk you need to pinch run him. 2 players used instead of 1. Not someone I would be interested in.
ozuna’s option is 1000% going to be picked up. he has held this offense together all year as best he could.
I wouldn’t touch any of them. Batting averages well below where they should be. Have we accepted mediocrity in batting average now?
People say batting average is a dead stat…
You do realize MLB’s 2024 average triple slash line is .243/.312/.400, right? Perhaps we should accept the fact that pitchers now have the edge over hitters from years past.
YBC: Don’t tell Manfred that. He’ll make another stupid rule like making the fielders play without gloves.
Ivan Herrera’s trade value looks better each time I look at the free agents available.
Cards will regret trading Herrara. Probably will be but quality bat. Has best stats on team
I always wanted Joc on the Yankees the short right field he could be great
They need to keep him. They will regret letting him go if they do
Weal
JDM started out well with the Mets and was driving the ball well to RF and CF before the wheels fell off. He’s now consistently either striking out or grounding out, and needs to be benched. Fortunately the Mets have young options coming up who can replace him easily in the lineup and also play the field, which he doesn’t do at all. He looks done.
At any point since the Pirates got rid of Bell…have they had a 1B better than Bell?
Santana Rowdy
No one outside Ozuna is worth a deal more than 1 year.
I feel like Gary Sanchez merits a mention here, despite having 142 PA as a DH. Close enough to the threshold and he’s only taken 109 PA as a catcher, so DH is where the majority of his time has been.