Royals Rumors: Top 10 Outfield Free Agents
By Aaron Reese
Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
10. Raul Ibanez
No one wants to rely on a 42 year old outfielder, but it’s hard to ignore what he’s done lately. He’s coming off a 29 home run season in Seattle, where it’s tough to hit home runs. Over the past three years, he has averaged 133 games and 23 home runs per season. His .300 OBP in that same time is nothing to write home about, but power is scarce these days and Ibanez has a very solid .451 SLG from 2011-2013.
He learned to hit in Kansas City and even whacked 24 home runs for the Royals in 2002, so he should still remain a good fit. He earned less than $3 million last year and probably won’t cost much next season. If the Royals invest heavily in other areas of the team, Ibanez might be a source of cheap power.