For the first several years in the baseball career of new Atlanta Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, the American League was his home domain.
If he had a player who could hit, but became a defensive liability, then no problem – there’s a designated hitter slot available in the lineup.
That’s been the difference in the two leagues for over four decades now, but it’s a difference that has seemed to become more pronounced in the last few years, particularly when discussing big hitters with big contracts as they physically start to break down.