Major League Baseball is holding owners meetings this week, so we'll hear of a few newsworthy items on occasion, such as the trade deadline moving back a whopping 24 hours.

But Commissioner Rob Manfred told reports the National League could go to the designated hitter by the 2017 season.

Given the year-long interleague play, concern by some over pitcher injuries and how bad the NL pitchers in general are at hitting (note that naming an outlier like Madison Bumgarner doesn't change the overall horrifying .133/.160/.171 batting line posted by hurlers last season), it's not all too surprising to see this discussion.

Where it might take some aback would be that it might happen as early as next season.

>>MLB Moves Non-Waiver Trade Deadline To August 1

Thanks to more competitive balance and the addition of the second wild card, Major League Baseball has discussed moving the annual non-waiver trade deadline from the long-standing July 31 date.

And for 2016, it will be moved back. All the way back to Aug. 1. The move doesn't have anything to do with the aforementioned reasons. According to the Associated Press, it's to avoid the litany of day games on July 31, since it lands on a Sunday this year.

MLB last pushed the deadline back in time for the 1986 season. Prior to that, the deadline was June 15.