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Report: Brewers agree to 5-year, $80-million deal with Cain

Duane Burleson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

You never can have enough outfield help.

The Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to sign free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain to a five-year, $80-million deal, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The deal will reportedly start with a full no-trade clause that will become limited in later years.

Cain has passed his physical, and is expected to be introduced by the team on Friday, Crasnick adds.

The signing comes shortly after the Brewers sent a package of prospects to Miami in exchange for Christian Yelich, and will also be the biggest free-agent deal so far this offseason. Prior to Cain, no player had signed for longer than three years, with Carlos Santana receiving the largest sum at $60 million after inking a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Brewers came out victorious in the Cain sweepstakes. Since free agency began, he's been linked to the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, and his former team in the Kansas City Royals. Since the Royals did extend a qualifying offer his way, they will receive draft pick compensation from the Brewers in the form of a third-round pick in 2018, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt.

The 31-year-old Cain returns to the franchise that drafted him in the 17th round of the 2004 draft. He was later sent to the Royals as part of the trade that brought pitcher Zack Greinke to the Brewers. In eight seasons, he's hit .290/.342/.421 with 57 home runs and 127 stolen bases. He's also developed a reputation as one of baseball's best defensive outfielders.

Cain helps complete a formidable - though crowded - outfield alongside Yelich, Brewers mainstay Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana, and Keon Broxton.

The busy Brewers are looking to capitalize on a relatively successful 2017, when the team finished a single game out of the National League's second wild-card spot.

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