Matt Cain (SP-SF)

Injury – He had bone chips and spurs in his elbow which required season-ending surgery.

2014 Season – Cain endured the worst season of his career finishing with just a 2-7 record in only 15 starts.  He recorded the highest ERA (4.18) and FIP (4.58) in his 10-year career and was marred with various injuries including a cut on his finger, a hamstring strain, and bone chips in his elbow. 

Reason For Optimism  

  • Besides the first half of 2013 and his injury-plagued 2014 season, Cain has been one of the most durable and consistent pitchers in baseball over the past decade.
  • His struggles last year were likely attributable to his injuries, so with a clean bill of health he should return to his pre-2013 form.
  • Cain is only 30-years old and has plenty left in the tank.

Reason For Concern

  • The cut on his finger was a freak injury, but he appeared to be falling apart physically after racking up lots of innings for several years in a row.
  • It has been two years since he provided dependable and productive statistics.
  • Despite only being 30-years old, he has registered more innings and pitches in his arm than most pitchers his age.

2015 OUTLOOK – Cain likely won’t make his spring training debut for another week, but he is on track to be ready by Opening Day.  He had been one of the most durable pitchers of the last decade throwing at least 190 innings every season from 2007 through 2012.  The wheels started coming off in 2013 with an awful first half, but he bounced back nicely in the latter part of that season.  We can chalk up his disastrous 2014 season to injury, but it is questionable whether we can expect the same kind of production we had become accustomed to up until 2012.  He will slip in drafts as fantasy GM’s have soured on him after these past two years, but he can provide great value in the teen rounds as a fifth or sixth starter in your rotation.  Keep your expectations low and wait for him to prove he is fully healthy before committing seriously to him.

If you are wondering the best way to evaluate players such as Cain so that you can be prepared for your draft, then be sure to find out how to get your free copy of the incredible 2015 Fantasy Alarm Baseball Draft Guide.

Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and co-host of the Fantasy Alarm Podcast.  You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),