Currently in MLB news, many people are discussing the possibility of outfielder Lorenzo Cain becoming a free agent after the 2017 season. His $17.5 million contract is ending, yet Cain wants to stay with the Kansas City Royals. He has stated, “You know, if it were up to me, I’d be here long-term.”
The main issue here is that the Royals are dealing with other players as well. They are still trying to figure things out with Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, who are both about to become free agents. If the Royals decided to splurge on players, it will be difficult to keep all three of these guys.
In the 2016 season, he had 434 plate appearances. He hit .287/.339/.408 with a total of nine home runs and 56 RBI’s. His overall best season was in 2015, when he hit .307/.361/.477 with a total of 16 homers and 72 RBIs. He’s fast and strategic when stealing bases. He has stolen 28 in his career!
Overall, the Royals do have some tough decisions to make, considering what Cain brings to the team. In fact, Royals manager Ned Yost believed that the reason the postseason chances were cut short last season was because Cain wasn’t able to play.
However, Cain unfortunately has had some issues with his health and missed a couple of seasons, one of those issues being a wrist injury. He is also currently 30 years old, which is another factor that will be taken into consideration on whether or not his contract will be extended.
He was drafted in the seventeenth round in 2004. Cain is unique when compared to most MLB players. Why? Cain was determining to play for the high school basketball team, but he did not make the cut. Therefore, he decided he would try out for baseball during his sophomore year of high school. At the time, Cain did not even own a baseball glove. What an amazing turn of events!
Fast forward six years, when he made his MLB debut on July 16, 2010 with the Milwaukee Brewers. The following year, he was playing for Kansas City. Since then, Cain has become a 2015 World Series Champion, a 2015 All-Star player, and a winner of the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player Award. Cain is known for being good with his acrobatic defense. With it, he won two Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards! He is also considered to have had a large role in the Royals’ win against the New York Mets in the World Series with his performance, getting three RBIs in game five. The Royals won 7-2.
The father of two, Cain is passionate about playing baseball, and has high hopes that the Royals will give him another chance. Let’s hope that Number Six will be back on the field next season. Right now in Spring Training, he has a .300 average, one home run, three RBIs and an OPS of 1.029. MLB analysts predict that Cain could be one of the best outfielder in next year’s free agency, should he become a free agent. However, Cain does not want to test out other teams, so maybe it is best for the Royals to hold on to him for a few more years.
Bottom line is, if Cain is able to bounce back and continue playing like he did back in 2015, the Royals need him!