Only six players in baseball hit more home runs than Adam Duvall last season. The Atlanta Braves responded by cutting him on Wednesday, because they didn’t want to pay him the $4 million to $7 million he would’ve likely earned in salary arbitration later this winter.
The move came as a surprise, given Duvall’s ability, his relatively low cost and the Braves’ serious championship aspirations in 2021. They chose to let Duvall go in spite of all that in part for a particularly strange reason: The Braves, like the rest of the National League, still don’t know what one key rule of the game will be next year—even though spring training is supposed to start in just over two months.
MLB and the players’ union agreed to add the designated hitter to the NL for the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, ostensibly to help preserve pitchers’ health over the rigorous 60-game schedule. As of today, the universal DH won’t carry over into 2021, nor will any of the other experimental rules implemented as part of the sport’s safety protocols.
That could change before opening day, after the two sides hash out the details of how to stage a second season under the specter of Covid-19. People across the industry anticipate the DH becoming a part of those discussions, with the owners likely to dangle it as a bargaining chip in exchange for an expanded postseason tournament.
For now, however, pitchers are slated to bat in the NL, and the uncertainty has left front offices in the unusual position of trying to build a roster while a significant variable remains in flux.
The issue has hurt players like Duvall, a perfect fit for a team looking for somebody to use as a DH and extra outfielder. Marcell Ozuna, who led the NL last season with 18 homers and 56 RBIs, is one of the best sluggers available in free agency, but his shaky outfield defense limits his market without a universal DH. The Chicago Cubs on Wednesday parted ways with 2016 World Series hero Kyle Schwarber, an outfielder known more for his bat than his glove. The DH issue also contributed to the San Diego Padres declining a $3 million option for first baseman Mitch Moreland last month.
The Miami Marlins took a different approach, opting to retain two first basemen, Jesús Aguilar and Garrett Cooper, in the hopes that the DH returns to the NL.
“It’s not a great situation to be in,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng told local reporters this week. “We would like to have some clarity on the matter, but at this time, we just don’t. It’s better to be over-armed in that area than under-armed.”
This situation only adds to the myriad questions about baseball’s employment market at a time of unprecedented upheaval. Commissioner Rob Manfred has said that MLB sustained $3 billion in operating losses in 2020, and owners are looking to slash payroll in response. This group of free agents — led by outfielder George Springer, catcher J.T. Realmuto and pitcher Trevor Bauer — also lacks the young superstars that highlighted the market in each of the last two winters, such as Gerrit Cole and Bryce Harper.
All told, a record 59 players became free agents at Wednesday’s non-tender deadline, the last day for organizations to offer a contract to their unsigned players still under team control. Another 59 accepted a contract ahead of the deadline, in many cases to avoid being non-tendered and forced to join a free-agent class loaded with supply but potentially light on demand. Only 30 players accepted such a deal a year ago.
