Chicago Cubs: Is the National League close to adding the designated hitter?

Maybe the Chicago Cubs won’t have to trade a young power hitter after all.

Thursday at the MLB owner’s meeting in Coral Gables, Florida, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the possibility of the National League adding the designated hitter is gaining momentum. However, the rule would not be changed until the 2017 season at the earliest.

Because the MLB collective bargaining agreement expires on December 31 of this year, proposals for new rules are to be expected from both sides. If the Player’s Union and owners agree to add a DH to the National League, the rule would most likely be enacted for the 2017 season according to Yahoo Sports.

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If the National League does add a DH, it would not come as much of a surprise to players, managers and executives in the league. Pitchers have been getting hurt more and more at the plate, most notably last April when Adam Wainwright injured his Achilles while hitting. He was expected to miss the entire season due to the injury but made a remarkable comeback in time for the postseason.

Washington Nationals’ starting pitcher Max Scherzer was very vocal about adding a DH to the National League last April, as he jammed his thumb and wrist while hitting.

“If you look at it from the macro side, who’d people rather see hit: Big Papi or me?” Scherzer said via ESPN. “Who would people rather see, a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper? Both leagues need to be on the same set of rules.”

In addition to pitcher injuries, the game has seen a steady decline in offense over the past 15 seasons. In 2000, MLB teams combined to average 5.14 runs/game. That number declined every year until last season when teams increased their output from 4.14 runs/game in 2014 to 4.25 runs/game in 2015.

The American League added a designated hitter for the 1973 season, after all, MLB teams combined to hit .244. In 2014 and 2015, MLB teams combined to hit .251 and .254, the lowest averages since the 1972 season. Could the National League follow the American’s suit and add a DH to spark offense?

If a designated hitter is established in the National League, the Cubs would benefit greatly. As most people know, the Cubs have more young power hitters than positions on the field. The team has reportedly been looking for deals to trade infielder Javier Báez or Jorge Soler to add pitching and free up the logjam they have on their roster.

If a DH is added, they team would no longer need to trade Báez or Soler unless they dearly wanted pitching. A Cubs’ lineup with the DH would become even more lethal than it already is.

With the DH, the Cubs’ could use a lineup of:

LF: Báez

CF: Jason Heyward

RF: Soler

3B: Kris Bryant

SS: Addison Russell

2B: Ben Zobrist

1B: Anthony Rizzo

C: Miguel Montero

DH: Kyle Schwarber

Adding a DH would solve many problems for the Cubs. They would no longer have to play Schwarber in the outfield, allowing him to focus on catching solely but also keeping his bat in the lineup. In addition, There would be no need to hit the pitcher 8th anymore, as that slot in the lineup would be a good hitter opposed to someone like Jon Lester.

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All in all, many people might be against the National League adding a DH, but the reality is that adding one would spark the offense and provide a more interesting game. Many teams would benefit, but no more than your Chicago Cubs.