Lorenzo Cain is officially a free agent after being released by the Brewers. Where could he end up now?
Fan-favorite Lorenzo Cain has hit the open market for the second time in his storied career on the heels of being DFA’d and released by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers took the classy route and waited until the day Cain hit his 10-year MLB Service Time milestone, landing him a $7,500/mo. pension from Major League Baseball upon his retirement from the game.
Cain, 36, had been hinting towards retirement as his body is worn down after 13 years at the game’s highest level but the story seems to have slightly changed according to FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray (video here and channel here).
Murray has reported that Cain may opt to sign with another club this season in the event that he can find an interested contender looking for his services. He likely would not be an everyday outfield option for any team but he is still one of the game’s premier defenders in center and is one of the most respected and well-known veteran presences in the game.
MLB rumors: Could Lorenzo Cain join a contender in the near future?
#3 – St. Louis Cardinals
This would be quite the kick in the teeth for Brewers fans, but Cain could be an intriguing fit on a St. Louis Cardinals roster that is looking to make a serious push to October.
With both Corey Dickerson and Tyler O’Neill, two players the Cards were expected to heavily rely on in their outfield picture. Yet, with those players consistently finding themselves on the injured list, the club is going with a mix of Brendan Donovan (25), Lars Nootbaar (24), Harrison Bader (28) and Dylan Carlson (23).
Adding someone like Cain to the mix would help these young outfielders tremendously as they gain experience and help the club make its annual push for a postseason spot.
MLB rumors: Red Sox, Dodgers make sense for Lorenzo Cain
#2 – Boston Red Sox
Yes, the Boston Red Sox are in third place in the AL East but they are still very much contenders and are still very much in the thick of things when it comes to early-season playoff races.
As things currently stand, the Red Sox have been primarily rolling with an outfield consisting of Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran and Jackie Bradley Jr. from left to right. The team’s backup outfielders are infielder Christian Arroyo (who can only play the corners) and Rob Refsnyder, a journeyman who is awful defensively and not much of a bat.
Adding Cain to the mix as a mentor to the 25-year old Duran and 26-year old Verdugo would likely be a huge help for Boston, as he has a World Series ring and a ton of high-leverage situations under his belt from his years with the Royals and Brewers.
#1 – Los Angeles Dodgers
There is perhaps no better fit for Cain than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who fit the bill in regards to being a serious contender and they have a spot open in right field as we speak.
With Mookie Betts and Kevin Pillar set to miss a good chunk of time on the injured list, the Dodgers are going to turn to an outfield of Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger and an Eddy Alvarez/Trayce Thompson platoon from left to right. Taylor’s best role is as a super-utilityman and the right field tandem of Alvarez and Thompson is not very trustworthy.
Adding somebody like Cain to the lineup would likely represent an immediate offensive upgrade (even though he hasn’t hit much this year) and would give the Dodgers a massive defensive boost in the outfield. Cain has experience in all three outfield spots over the years and would most likely see time at each of the three positions on this team.
There is always something to be said about having excellent veteran presences on a young, exciting, contending team like the Dodgers are. With Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Betts all already on the squad, Cain could join forces with them and help the team out even more.