The Milwaukee Brewers announced that outfielder Lorenzo Cain is opting-out of the 2020 season. He joins 14 other players who have already opted-out.
In the club’s announcement, team president and general manager David Stearns said that the the Brewers “fully support Lorenzo’s decision, and we will miss his talents on the field and leadership in the clubhouse.”
Cain has played in five Brewers games this season, and has gone 6-for-18 with three walks in 21 plate appearances. He is coming off a subpar 2019 campaign in which he hit .260/.325/.372 but during which he provided considerable value on defense, taking home a Gold Glove and posting a leather-heavy 3.0 bWAR.
The decision by Lorenzo Cain to opt-out comes as the Brewers have sat idle for two days while their scheduled opponent this weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals, have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. It’s unclear when they, or the Brewers for that matter, will play again. It’s understandable that Cain has taken the past day or so to reassess his plans for the year.
The other players who have thus far opted-out:
- Mike Leake, Diamondbacks
- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
- Joe Ross, Nationals
- Ian Desmond, Rockies
- Tyson Ross, Free Agent
- David Price, Dodgers
- Welington Castillo, Nationals
- Félix Hernández, Braves
- Nick Markakis, Braves — who then opted back in on July 29
- Hector Noesi, Pirates
- Buster Posey, Giants
- Michael Kopech, White Sox
- Jordan Hicks, Cardinals
- Collin McHugh, Red Sox
- Tim Collins, Rockies
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 1, 2020