Outfielder Lorenzo Cain was released by the Brewers in June of last year and didn’t sign with another team. He tells Andy McCullough of The Athletic that he got some interest from other clubs but ultimately decided to call it a career. He will return to Kauffman Stadium at some point during the upcoming season to officially retire as a Royal, though the timing and logistics of that are still being worked out.
Cain was certainly struggling last year, as he had a batting line of .179/.231/.234 at the time he was cut loose by the Brewers. But his defensive grades were still good and he had been roughly average at the plate the year before. It seems a few teams thought he still had something left in the tank. Cain says the Dodgers were in touch, as were players on the Phillies and Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals. However, Cain decided to defer to his three young boys.
“I left it in the hands of my boys,” Cain said to McCullough. “I said, ‘Hey, do you guys want Daddy to continue to play ball? Or are you ready for Daddy to be done and go home?’ And they said, ‘Dad, we want you to go home.’ And I said, ‘OK, then.’ So I’ve been done. I just haven’t announced it, I guess.” As mentioned, the details of the upcoming ceremony are still being hashed out, but Cain says they are tentatively targeting the month of May. Once the paperwork is filed, it will officially bring to a close a career that was bookended by time with Milwaukee but had its greatest highlights in Kansas City.
The Brewers selected Cain in the 17th round of the 2004 draft. He worked his way up through the minors and cracked the big leagues in 2010, getting into 43 games that year. Prior to the 2011 campaign, the rebuilding Royals sent Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers in exchange for Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Jake Odorizzi and Cain.
His first year with his new club was primarily spent in the minors and then Cain was hurt for much of 2012. In 2013, he started to show signs of becoming a viable major leaguer, as he got into 115 games, stole 14 bases and provided excellent defense. He took another step forward in 2014, hitting .301 on the year and swiping 28 bags. He helped the club to the World Series that year, winning ALCS MVP along the way.
The Royals lost that World Series but were back the next year, thanks in no small part to Cain. He hit 16 home runs in 2015, effectively doubling his career tally at that time, as he had just 17 coming into the year. He also stole another 28 bases, continued to be great in the field and hit .307. He made the All-Star game that year, the first of two selections for him, and the Royals eventually emerged victorious in that year’s World Series.
Cain would play another couple of seasons in Kansas City before reaching free agency. He returned to the Brewers on a five-year, $80MM deal going into 2018. He continued to be an excellent player in the first few years of that contract, providing his typical blend of speed and defense, along with a few home runs. He was selected to the All-Star game again in 2018 and won a Gold Glove award in 2019.
Cain played five games in 2020 before deciding to opt out due to the pandemic. He was then hampered by injuries in 2021, getting into just 78 games. He struggled out of the gate in 2022 and was ultimately let go by the Brewers. As mentioned up top, Cain seemed to have some chances to continue his playing career but ultimately decided to be with his family instead.
Cain goes into the history books with 1,220 hits, including 225 doubles, 24 triples and 87 home runs. He scored 626 runs, drove 454 of them in and stole 190 bases. He was a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner and a World Series champion. We at MLB Trade Rumors salute him on a fine career and wish him all the best in retirement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
@Kewldood69
Reference: previous comment: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/03/austin-martin-shut-down-with-ucl-sprain.html#comments
You’re going to like one of the photos of Cain on B-Ref. He has a big smile and looks like he really is happy to be playing baseball.
Awesome!
LoCain! A badass in his days!
I hope MLB will allow a limited time roster exception and not force the Royals to DFA someone for this stunt.
They should force them to do so of they are actually that incompetent if a franchise. Dude can sign a 1 day contract at any time. If there is an exception then it really doesn’t mean anything.
Incompetent… like if they mixed up the words “if” and “of” in an unnecessary post that was overtly salty, just to be salty?
…that kind of incompetent?
ha! got em
Didn’t really get him honestly. That’s just the comeback idiots use when they don’t have anything smart to say. The royals franchise is awful
didn’t ask for your opinion… he got em
No one asked for your opinion either. He didn’t get him.
These people on here who correct someone (likely typing on a phone no less) are so full of themselves. The most annoying of people is a person who is operating 100% from the brain (and always thinks they are the smartest in the room because they memorized some info they read) and has no empathy. This is the problem with modern humans. Attack attack! I am smarter! I’ve memorized more info than you!
Yes, the Royals are that level of incompetent. It seems so are you.
That won’t be necessary anyway. If you carefully look at roster transactions and/or news about them, there’s often a couple of days before a signed/acquired player is actually added to the roster.
I wasn’t sure if you could actually sign a legit contract and not be added to the 40 man. Was going to look it up but felt like being a little salti.
I don’t think you quite got what I meant. If, under normal circumstances, a couple of days can go by before a newly acquired player has to be added to the roster, then surely a ONE-day retirement contract won’t require a roster move.
love watching this guy play CF. Hope he has an awesome retirement!
Great player for the Royals. Sad how his skills declined so rapidly, That was surprising. Best of Luck Lorenzo!
As an orioles fan all my memories of seeing Cain play hurt lol
I look forward to seeing the royals honor him as a member of those fun teams in 14 and 15
Maybe he Cain or maybe he Cain’t retire as a Royal.
He was rarely a great hitter. I think he had stuff left, but he can retire knowing he was quite good.
Nicest guy, even as a Pirates fan.
LoCain had a great career.
Dug my own factoid as a salute.
Reached base or had a sacrifice in 44 of 46 career playoff games he appeared in. Nice.
The amazing part about that is less that he reached base so much in those games but the fact that played in 46 playoff games with the Royals and Brewers
rsox- hahahahahahahaputasockinithahahaha
Cain was a late bloomer but was fun to watch, especially on those Royals World Series teams. He was just totally gassed last season. Congratulations on a fine career
I genuinely read the quote as him calling the Royal’s organization his boys and he was their daddy… not my proudest moment
Lo Cain! Loved watching him play, dude looked intense in the box, a lot of movement. Should’ve won a gold glove in KC. When he caught a tough ball and was super hype after, I hollered ~
I remember when I was visiting all 30 ballparks and watching this guy play in KC, in person he was so much fun to watch, what a great player!!! Enjoy your post playing career!!!
aranger- you a rich guy bragging. anyone salute? And yes, i did have a
trying day @ work.
Pound
MD- i think i understand. so much more without all i did.
Brilliant.
Cain is no longer Abel !!
Nope, doesn’t count.
Class act and a joy to watch. A shame the Brewers don’t have anyone like him or similar on the roster.
Lorenzo didn’t start playing serious baseball until high school. He is an amazing athlete. So much fun to watch in the OF. He always looked like he was having fun out there. Best to him and his family.
Very solid player, and an asset to any team. Would’ve loved to see him play for the Rays. Congratulations on your retirement.