First, Jeremy Jeffress. Now, Lorenzo Cain.
Are the Milwaukee Brewers trying to reverse the Zack Greinke trade from December 2010? No, that’s not the plan but it’s still interesting that Cain is back in the fold, a move officially announced by the club Friday morning.
It was reported by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick on Thursday night that Cain is getting a five-year, $80 million deal, by far the biggest contract given on what has been an unusually slow free-agent market this off-season. That’s a noteworthy investment in a player who will be 32 years old in April.
“Lorenzo is a multifaceted player and proven winner who we are pleased to welcome back to Milwaukee,” general manager David Stearns said. “His combination of speed, fielding prowess and ability to hit for average will be a valuable addition to our lineup.”
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The Cain signing comes on the heels of the blockbuster trade for Miami outfielder Christian Yelich, which cost the club four highly regarded minor-league prospects, including Lewis Brinson, ranked No. 1 in the system. So, just like that, the Brewers have an abundance of established outfielders, and Yelich and Cain weren’t acquired to sit on the bench.
Cain, a superior defensive center fielder, was a 17th-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2004 and came up through their system. He was included in the package with Jeffress, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitcher Jake Odorizzi sent to Kansas City in the Greinke deal, which also netted the Brewers a shortstop in return, Yuniesky Betancourt.
Jeffress is back with the Brewers, for the second time since that trade (he was re-signed, traded to Texas, then reacquired). Escobar signed a deal to return to the Royals on Friday, and Odorizzi is now pitching for Tampa Bay.
The Brewers showed they were going for it in 2011 by paying that price for Greinke, and they did win their first NL Central title. But they were eliminated in the NLCS by St. Louis, falling short of their second World Series. When they slipped the next year, Greinke was traded to the Los Angeles Angels, and eventually the Brewers embarked on their own rebuilding process.
As the Brewers expected all along, Cain developed into a star with the Royals, who went on to consecutive World Series appearances, winning it all in 2015. Cain was an American League all-star that season and finished third in the league’s most valuable player voting. He was the ALCS most valuable player in ’14.
In 713 games with the Royals, Cain batted .289 with a .342 on-base percentage and .763 OPS, with 56 home runs, 308 runs batted in and 120 stolen bases. Last season, playing in a career-high 155 games, he batted .300 with a .363 OBP, 15 homers, 49 RBI and 26 steals.
Of his time with the Royals, Cain told mlb.com, "It was a blast. I absolutely love Royals fans. They loved on me for so many years. Just thinking of them brings a smile to my face. Man, I'm really going to miss them.
"Just all the support they gave me. It was incredible. We all went through so much together."
Prior to 2017, Cain was plagued by various health issues that limited his availability. He was limited to 103 games in ’16 by an ailing wrist and has been hampered by leg problems at times. When healthy, however, he has been a productive player and defensive force in center.
Cain is one of three major-leaguers since 2014 with an OBP of .350 or above and 90 or more stolen bases. Over that same span, he ranked ninth in the AL in Wins Above Replacement at 17.9.
Playing last season at 31, Cain was still proficient enough in the field to be a Gold Glove finalist in center. He is 14th among active players with a 12.1 defensive WAR.
The additions of Yelich and Cain give the Brewers a treasure trove of established outfielders. The three primary starters from last season – leftfielder Ryan Braun, centerfielder Keon Broxton and rightfielder Domingo Santana – are still on the roster. Outfield prospect Brett Phillips, who performed well during a September call-up last season, also provides an option.
The immediate speculation is that the Brewers will trade an outfielder or two to clear the logjam. They have been shopping Santana this winter and could trade him for help in the starting rotation or second base. With Cain on board, Broxton also could become expendable.
There have been rumblings that another option would be to use Braun some at first base, presumably as a right-handed option to lefty hitting Eric Thames. Where that would leave Jesus Aguilar, who performed well in that role last season, is unknown.
The Brewers are holding a media session at 2 p.m. to introduce – or, to be more accurate re-introduce – Cain, so we can ask general manager David Stearns how he’s going to make all of this work in the outfield. Check back later today to see what he had to say.
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