Report: Pollock seeking deal in 5-year, $80M range

A.J. Pollock is looking for Lorenzo Cain money this offseason.

The free-agent outfielder is reportedly telling interested teams that he wants his next contract to be close to the one that Cain signed last winter, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today - a five-year, $80-million deal.

Cain inked his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers one year ago, before entering his age-32 season. Pollock will celebrate his 31st birthday next week.

Perhaps the most sought-after position player among the tier of free agents below superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, Pollock's struggled to stay healthy over the past several seasons. Since playing in 157 games during his breakout 2015 campaign, he's appeared in just 237 contests thanks to an array of ailments, and his production has taken a massive hit.

(WAR courtesy: Baseball-Reference)

In 2018, Pollock slashed .257/.316/.484 with 21 homers, 65 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases over 113 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also struck out a career-high 100 times. The former Gold Glove winner was a mixed bag in the outfield, as he tallied six defensive runs saved but also posted a negative ultimate zone rating of minus-0.7.

His best year was 2015, when Pollock slashed .315/.367/.498 and was worth 7.2 wins above replacement, fourth among National League position players.

Pollock is apparently attracting plenty of interest as a free agent, according to Nightengale, though it's not fully clear what teams might be pursuing him. The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros have reportedly been considering making runs at players of his ilk, and Pollock's been mentioned as a possibility for both clubs.

Pollock rejected the Diamondbacks' qualifying offer earlier this offseason, meaning the team that signs him will owe Arizona draft-pick compensation.