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MLB free agency 2017: Top 25 free agents

By Joshua Sadlock

Aug 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) celebrates after the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Mets won 14-9. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) celebrates after the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Mets won 14-9. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 28, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales (25) drives in a run with a ground rule double against the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales (25) drives in a run with a ground rule double against the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

22. Kendrys Morales, DH

As a full-time DH, all of Morales’ value is tied up in his ability to hit for power. Over the past two seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Morales has managed to go from a bargain-bin reclamation project to a legitimate threat and Silver Slugger. In his two years in KC, Morales hit 52 home runs and drove in 199 runs while slashing .277/.344/.476.

The numbers for Morales in Kansas City are impressive, especially when considering the pitcher-friendly stadium in which the Royals play. His free agency will depend on how names higher up on the list like Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, and Jose Bautista shake out. With the Toronto Blue Jays unlikely to be able to re-sign both Encarnacion and Bautista, Morales looks like a decent fallback option, but he will have to wait it out.

Prediction — Toronto Blue Jays, two years, $30 million

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