Lorenzo Cain knows a thing or two about patrolling center field.
The former two-time MLB All-Star and 2019 Gold Glove winner is now retired, having spent most of his career with the Kansas City Royals (2011-17) and winning a World Series in ’15. However, Cain still provides commentary on Major League Baseball and recently gave the New York Yankees a cautionary tale.
The Bronx Bombers, tired of having waiver-wire acquisitions play the outfield, went out and acquired a litany of outfielders headlined by Juan Soto while adding the likes of Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham. These savvy moves made by general manager Brian Cashman have pushed the envelope for a Yankees ballclub that missed the playoffs in 2023, but it’ll also drive their superstar outfielder to center.
Cain doesn’t think having Judge play center field moving forward will help the 32-year-old age gracefully.
“Not at all,” Cain said on Friday’s Foul Territory when talking about Judge, who dealt with a torn ligament in his toe through the majority of last season. “They paid him all this money to be a thump, so you let a thump be a stump. You don’t put him in center field and have him doing all this running around, trying to catch fly balls. You got Verdugo, you got Trent; you throw one of those guys out there and let ’em be playmakers.
“You allow Judge to play right field, and you put Soto in left, or whoever you want in left or vice versa. And you let that work because center field is very taxing on the body. This is a quick story. My guy, Whit (Merrifield) — once I left KC — he started playing a lot of center. About a month into the season, he texted me, ‘Hey man, now I see you were coming to the dugout saying you’re tired and your feet hurt. Now I understand.'”
While the future of Judge in center field remains uncertain, Cain’s advice provides valuable insight for the Yankees as they strive to maximize their championship potential.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.