Chicago Cubs: Top candidates to serve as the team’s designated hitter

If baseball is played this year, it seems likely the National League will adopt the designated hitter. How would that impact the Chicago Cubs lineup in 2020?

For years, fans, writers and really all who love the game of baseball have debated whether or not the National League should ever adopt the designated hitter. Of course, it’s been a fixture in American League baseball since 1973 – but the Senior Circuit, including the Chicago Cubs, have opted to stick with the traditional approach of pitchers batting for themselves.

But according to multiple reports, if there’s baseball in 2020, the league will not have a choice about the DH – as it would be universally implemented across all of Major League Baseball as a way to prevent injury and potentially keep pitchers fresh over the course of a proposed 82-game shortened schedule.

Really, this should come as a surprise to no one. It makes sense. So supposing that we do see the designated hitter come to the National League, at least in the interim, this summer, what does that mean? For the Chicago Cubs, it may not be as cut-and-dry as you might initially think.

Believe it or not, the Cubs could go in several different directions, depending on what the front office and first-year manager David Ross have in mind. There’s one guy who makes a lot of sense given the qualms about his defense – but Chicago should consider some alternatives, as well.

Chicago Cubs: Rizzo could elevate his offensive game even further

Look, I know what you’re thinking. Why in the name of God’s green earth would you move a former Platinum Glove winner off first base? And, in all honesty, the Cubs probably wouldn’t – unless they wanted to add another switch-hitting bat to the equation.

Backup catcher and first baseman Victor Caratini turned in the best season of his professional career in 2019. It stands to reason Ross might want to give him more playing time. The matter of where he gets those reps is anyone’s guess: it could be either at first base or as the team’s designated hitter.

Coming off a brutal ankle injury late last season, perhaps Ross opts to give Rizzo some more reps as the DH in 2020 to keep him fresh, despite the shortened season. The potential benefits could be two-fold: you know what you have with Caraatini, who still represents an interesting piece for the Cubs, despite the presence of two-time All-Star Willson Contreras. Secondly, it gives Rizzo the chance to focus solely on his offense every so often – who knows what that could culminate in.

I’d say you won’t see Rizzo exclusively as the DH in 2020 – but he’s undoubtedly going to get some reps there, maybe even on days that in a traditional 162-game calendar would’ve been off-days.

Chicago Cubs: Schwarber has long been considered a future DH

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For years, fans have been clamoring for the Cubs to trade Kyle Schwarber to an American League club. Trade him for pitching, they say. Trade him for an actual outfielder is the most common line.

Regardless of their insistent bellyaching, that has not happened. Schwarber remains a Cub and is coming off his best single-season performance yet, a 38-homer campaign in which he put together an absolutely monster second-half showing.

Given his proclivity for putting together good at-bats, regardless of whether they end with a walk or a mammoth home run, Schwarber makes a lot of sense as the team’s DH.

He’s definitely improved in left field, but the Cubs could also go with someone like Ian Happ or Steven Souza in left field, as well. Even Bryant could play left, with Bote at third if Schwarber was the designated hitter.

In short, I’d say the Cubs won’t have a day-in, day-out DH in 2020. Rather, they’ll have the same group of guys cycling through the role, depending on who needs a day off, what the matchup is and who’s got the hot hand. But Schwarber will definitely see his share of time in the role.