Are there any teams that actually use the DH as it was originally intended, giving aging superstar players more years? Pujols with the Angels? Every time I watch a AL rules series in interleague play it seems like a different player is in the DH spot every game, like teams just use it rotationally to give someone banged up a break from fielding.
Freegards
Nelson Cruz and Carlos Santana are the two who come to my mind. Cruz was slowing down at age 32, and I think DH helped through the past two or three seasons...he’s 37, and had great numbers last year, with at least one more great productive year left him. Santana is 32...left the American League in 2017 and played for the Phillies. By next season....I think he’ll have to rotate back to the American, if he hopes to get three or four more seasons.
Brandon Moss is another good example. He’s 35, and potentially as a DH, I think he has two more decent seasons left in him (20 HR’s per year). In KC, that’s enough to make them happy.
Looking over history, players like Al Kaline or Willie McCovey would have done better as a DH in the last eight years of their career.
Course, we can make a case for a dozen-odd pitchers....that they had a great deal of talent as hitters.