Where Free Agents Will Sign If Kansas City Royals Completely Rebuild

Lorenzo Cain

With an extremely weak crop of center fielders, Lorenzo Cain should be in for a nice payday. As the clear cream of the crop, Cain will have no shortage of suitors. Leg problems and his age — he’ll be 32 in April — will keep him from landing a five-year contract. But he should be well compensated after a nice bidding war.

With his skill set, Cain could be the target of a team pushing for the postseason. He could also fit in well with a team looking to compete in a few years.

After finishing third in MVP voting in 2015, Cain suffered through an injury plagued 2016 campaign. He bounced back this past season, playing 155 games and hitting exactly .300. Cain displayed his full array of power (15 home runs) and speed (26 steals in 28 tries) in 2017. However, his lack of runs (86) and RBI (49) illustrate the offensive struggles of the Kansas City Royals.

With his skill set, Cain could be the target of a team pushing for the postseason. He could also fit in well with a team looking to compete in a few years. There’s a good chance Cain moves to right field in a couple of seasons, too. That simple conversion will make him an even more attractive free agent candidate, because teams won’t have to weigh the gamble of Cain blocking a potential top prospect.

All that makes him the perfect candidate for a Rangers team that will be looking to replace Carlos Gomez, who could be coming to Kansas City. Cain’s combination of hitting for average and drawing walks should make him a key contributor for Texas. With the power the lineup possesses, Cain will spend plenty of time running the bases. His ability to start a rally all by himself will be a welcome addition to a team that relied too much on the home run in 2017.

Logical spot: Texas Rangers