The Milwaukee Brewers designated outfielder Lorenzo Cain for assignment in what he called a mutual decision on Saturday, the same day he reached 10 years of MLB service.
Cain, 36, met with team president David Stearns and manager Craig Counsell prior to the club’s announcement.
The Brewers selected outfielder Jonathan Davis from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.
Cain, a two-time All-Star (2015, 2018) and a 2019 Gold Glove winner, has struggled this season for the Brewers. He is batting a career-worst .179 with just one home run, nine RBIs and 36 strikeouts in 43 games.
His performance had led to questions about retirement, which Cain has been forthcoming about answering.
“It’s gotten to that point where I’ve worked so hard, for so long, that I’m just tired,” Cain told The Athletic this week. “It’s almost that time … I always told myself: If I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t compete at a high level, like I want to, then I would definitely call it quits, for sure.”
Cain began his career with the Brewers in 2010 and spent the next seven seasons in Kansas City, winning a World Series with the Royals and finishing third in American League MVP voting in 2015.
He rejoined the Brewers in 2018 and became a fan favorite. Cain is a career .283 hitter with 87 home runs and 454 RBIs in 1,171 games.
“If you had told me I was going to play 10 years in the big leagues, I would have thought you were just messing around with me,” Cain told The Athletic.
–Field Level Media
