Milwaukee Brewers: DH Could Extend Ryan Braun’s Career

With the addition of the DH to the NL, Ryan Braun could see himself playing beyond the 2020 season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Back at the beginning of the calendar year at the ‘Brewers On Deck’ event, Ryan Braun acknowledged that this could be his last season. Currently 36-years old and in the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, the option to retire following the 2020 season is certainly in play for him.

But if I can borrow a phrase from college football analyst Lee Corso, ‘not so fast!’

Prior to the MLB season being put on hold, with the addition of Avisail Garcia in the outfield, Braun was destined to split time at first base with Justin Smoak. However, with the DH coming to the NL for the 2020 season, Brauny has a new role, and it’s one that can keep him healthy while also keeping his bat in the lineup on a more regular basis.

This not only gives the Brewers’ offense a boost in 2020 but as Braun pointed out in a recent interview with Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, the addition of the DH to the NL could also extend his career:

"“I would say based on where I’m at now, there is a higher likelihood that I would be interested in playing another year now than I thought there would be three or four months ago.”"

As we’ve seen, a healthy Braun can still do plenty of damage at the plate. He is coming off a very solid 2019 season where he slashed .285/.343/.505 with 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 116. Not to mention that there were several clutch moments as well, including a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning against St. Louis that gave Milwaukee the lead during the final weeks of the season.

With the Brewers losing Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas to free agency, that is quite a bit of production that has to be replaced, and as of now, we don’t exactly know where that will come from. So having Braun taking additional at-bats as a DH is certainly a positive for this offense and he’s excited about the idea of it as well:

"“I’m excited about [the addition of the DH],” Braun said. “I still think that I can play this game at a really high level. Offensively, I still think that I can be really good, especially when I am healthy. Being able to get a lot of my at-bats out of the DH spot, in theory should be something that will help keep me healthier and more productive.”"

Now, of course, even with the addition of the DH there is no guarantee that Braun is going to be back in 2021.  He does turn 37 after the season, as we all know he has battled injuries in recent years, and we don’t know if the DH is going to continue being apart of the NL beyond the 2020 season.

On top of that, Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers would have to work through a contract negotiation. In his current deal there is a 2021 mutual option for $15 million with a $4 million buyout, but even if Braun has an uber-productive 2020 season, it’s hard to envision the Brewers picking that up. Instead, they will likely try bringing him back on a cheaper one-year contract.

However, all of those questions are to be answered at a later date. For now, it appears that Braun is going to be the Brewers’ primary designated hitter, which bodes well for them – and Braun – in 2020. And if he continues to perform at the plate, which I don’t see why he won’t, I’ll be surprised if Brauny isn’t back next season. Especially if the DH role sticks around.