by Sean McAdam, Special to FOXSports.com

Jason Kubel is more typical of the new generation of DHs, hitting for average rather than just power numbers. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

Not so long ago, the American League was chock full of sluggers who struck fear into opposing pitching staffs. Edgar Martinez, Jim Thome, David Ortiz and Jason Giambi — among others — were capable of damage at any time, integral and sometimes irreplaceable parts of their respective lineups.

Ortiz and Martinez won the DH of the Year Award (now named in Martinez's honor) 10 times between them in the span of 14 years.

But in 2009, an evolution is under way. Martinez, now retired, is eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this winter. Ortiz, though he's rebounded from two disastrous months, is not nearly the force he once was.

Thome and Giambi each lumber on, though like Ortiz, their skills have deteriorated. Giambi has been hard-pressed to keep his batting average over.200, and more tellingly, is slugging a paltry .370.

It's not surprising that these sluggers are aging and, in many cases, fading. That's part of baseball's circle of life. What is surprising is that a new generation of DHs has yet to emerge to replace them.

As the 2009 season reaches the halfway point on the calendar, only seven DHs — or one for every two AL franchises — are on pace to collect more than 350 plate appearances. And from among that group, only four are already in double figures in homers.

All of which suggests a sea change that's taking place with the position: Rather than pencil in a player to fill the DH role on an everyday basis, teams are rotating players in and out of the spot, often using the role to provide rest to position players, or to alleviate overcrowding at a particular position.

The best DH at the halfway point is Toronto's Adam Lind, who sports a .932 OPS. But less than two-thirds of his games played have come at the DH spot; the rest have come as an outfielder, as Lind shares some left field duties with Russ Adams, Travis Snyder and others while occasionally giving way to Kevin Millar for DH at-bats.

Similarly, Minnesota's Jason Kubel has had an impact at DH. But with manager Ron Gardenhire intent on flexibility, Kubel also works into the Twins' outfield rotation at times.

Moreover, Kubel doesn't profile as the prototypical, slow-footed, power-producing DH, having never hit more than 20 homers in a season. But he is an effective offensive player who can boost a lineup with his contributions.

As much as anything, the shift may be taking place for economic reasons.

"We might have seen the end of the $15 million a year guy at DH,'' said one AL executive. "A guy like Travis Hafner (whose four-year, $57 million deal still has more than three full seasons to run) is scary. You invest big-time in a contract like that and there's nothing you can do.''

As teams cut costs and weigh payroll concerns more carefully thanks to the economy and the resulting dip in revenues, a bad contract can be an albatross.

"With some of these guys,'' said another baseball official, "you're paying an awful lot of money for one-dimensional players. That's a recipe for disaster in the long run.''

(Indeed, whenever owners have attempted to introduce the elimination of the DH in collective bargaining talks, the Players Association has immediately balked — not because it would mean the elimination of jobs, but because it would mean the elimination of high-paying jobs. DHs have historically earned some of the game's highest average salaries.)

More and more, teams seek to leave themselves options.

"When you have a guy who really can't play the field,'' an assistant GM offered, "you really limit what you can do. Some teams would rather not be locked into that kind of DH, from a roster-construction standpoint.''

Yet another talent evaluator from an AL team maintains that, in the (theoretically) post-steroid era, given the current emphasis on defense and athleticism, some teams may want a spot carved out for someone who would be a liability in the field.

"I think you're always going to have some defensively challenged players who can hit and help you,'' he said.

And, like most positions, this change could be merely cyclical.

"Eventually,'' said an executive, "you're going to have older, expensive guys like Carlos Lee, whose only value will be in the American League (as a DH).''

But for now, the big-swinging lumberjacks seem a thing of the past. Almost four decades in, the DH might be here to stay, but the newer models don't look a thing like past years.