DH to NL gathering steam: this could be a boon for the Phillies

It sounds like the designated hitter will be coming to the National League, and that's a good thing for the Phillies. According to Newsday's David Lennon, baseball commisioner Rob Manfred said that the move to a DH is "gaining momentum" and will be addressed in negotitations on a new CBA after the current one expires after the 2016 season.

Manfred has previously expressed reluctance to introduce the DH to the National League, saying, among other things, that it would "deprive us" of the chance to watch Bartolo Colon bat. While we will certainly miss that sort of spectacle should the DH spot replace the pitcher in NL lineups in 2017, the move makes sense for a variety of reasons, particularly for a big revenue club like the Phillies. And that, in turn makes sense for the players.

\With the current set-up, the Phillies are incentivized to spend money on eight regular players and five starting pitchers. Adding a DH adds another regular player for them to spend their money on. In an economic climate where the pool of free agents is extremely limited, the Phillies would now have access to a segment of that pool that currently doesn't fit on their roster.

I'm thinking about players like Billy Butler, Adam LaRoche, Victor Martinez and Kendrys Morales, the four of whom signed for a combined $140 million over 10 years last offseason.

The DH will make it easier for a big market team to build a productive lineup by enabling it to outbid other clubs for offense at another non-premium position in order to make up for the market-wide lack of offense at premium positions (like short stop, second base and center field).

We'll miss Bartolo Colon, for sure. But I'm guessing Phillies fans will get over it.