Matt makes the AS team in 2013, based on his 10-3 record, 2.99 ERA, and 3.5 K/BB ratio heading into the break.  Most impressive is his sub-3.00 ERA, pitching home games in "Coors East".

Matt again makes the AS team in 2015, this time with the Mariners, who signed him to a 3 year, $30 million dollar contract to be their 4th starter.(Don't discount inflation in the next 10 years)  A 9-4 record, 3.12 ERA, and 3.0K/BB ratio help him make his second All-Star team.  A terrible 1-5 slide is mercifully ended by a broken ankle and a slow recovery.

Matt's final AS appearance is for the Mariners in 2016, when he heads into the break at 13-2 with a 3.05 ERA, and a 3.4K/BB ratio.  He finishes up 7-7, losing the last game of the season, knocking Seattle out of a tie for the WC and ending their season.

He signs with SF in 2017, a 4-year $50 million contract, locking him up for what the Giants hope is a string of World Series trips.  Unfortunately, Cain's K/BB ratio drops below 2 for the rest of his career, and injuries begin to catch up with him.  He is sent to the Rangers, who are still trying to find pitching.

After two and half poor years in Arlington, he signs a minor league deal with the Nats, and after pitching somewhat effectively, is moved to the Yankees who need help in their rotation.  He pitches servicably enough to be asked back in 2023, but is released in July after struggling to regain his previous years form and battling injury.  

Signs with Philly before the 2013 season as a FA. Gets off to a tremendous start--makes the AS team. Falls off down the stretch, as the workload catches up to him. Perhaps continuing the struggles from the end of '13, Cain struggles to find his rythm the next year. He misses four starts with a strained oblique in July, and perhaps this helps him--he finishes strong with a nice showing in October.

Buoyed by his strong finish, he signs a three year deal with the Mariners---who are trying to get back to the postseason after years of languishing in the Angels/A's shadows. Has a pretty good year---his W/L would be much better if the M's offense had supported him more. He suffers from the worst support in the AL. In 2016, he has his career year. Helped by a stronger Mariners team that has finally put together an offense to complement its terrific Hernandez-Cain 1-2 punch, Cain is an allstar--although he is overshadowed by the other Mariner's ace. The M's make the playoffs, but lose in the first round.

Cain misses the start of '17 due to a slight oblique recurrence, but has a solid year. He heads into free agency strong, although some teams worry that about his durability coupled with his age. Fortunately, the Giants are eager to sign him--feeling like they've gotten the short end of the Cain stick.

Unfortunately for the Giants, this continues. Despite pitching pretty well when healthy, over the next year or so Cain is troubled by a variety of nagging injuries. The oblique problem, and a troublesome hamstring. The Rangers, doing anything to find pitching, trade for Cain in late June of '19 (oh my god, I'm FORTY!). He's a mixed bag for them, and they ultimately send him to the pen where he helps them down the stretch for their ultimately unsuccesful playoff drive.

That being said, I'm not really sure how one could call this a "somewhat disappointing career". It's true that this isn't every year All Star material by any stretch of the imagination, but a career 4.31 ERA over the course of nearly 20 years? I'd say that sounds like a pretty nice run to me.

I'm of the opinion that all-star selections are as much about production the previous year and first-half performances as anything else.  Based on that career, I'd imagine that he does end up going to at least one, perhaps two or three All-Star Games, though I wouldn't want to try to predict which years (other than that shiny 2016).

Right now, he's relying on a somewhat deceptive motion and thus blowing very good fastballs by hitters.  It's just that he's not going to be able to get away with just firing fastballs, no matter how good down the middle forever.  He's got to get some other stuff going or he will end up back in the minors to work on secondary stuff.

Right now I see him as being a lot like Brett Tomko without the headcase stuff.  Of course, if Tomko wasn't a headcase, he be pretty darn good.

In general when it comes to minor leaguers, top picks get so much pub on these type of sites that if they don't become all-stars it is seen as a disappointment.  A lot of teams have so much invested in these guys that they tell fans the future of the team lays with these guys.  So if a guy doesn't immeadiately become Albert Pujols or Miguel Cabrera, fans might turn on them.

Now I'm not expecting Delmon Young, Upton, and Prince Fielder to all be hall of famers, but if you read a lot of minor league sites you would be lead to believe that a 1 in 3 shot among these guys for the hall of fame is not unlikely.

Cain starts off slowly before being hit by an elbow ailment in 2008.  The Giants try to rest and rehab him before finally in late September he has Tommy John surgery.  Cain comes back from the surgery and becomes a league average pitcher.

Philadelphia signs him to a long term deal of 3 years 18 million with vested options for the 4th and 5th year based on reaching IP goals.

After 2014 Philadelphia trades him to the Mariners for two B- Level pitching prospects.  Both prospects will have arm problems the next year but eventually become league average pitchers themselves. Cain pitches pretty well in his two years with the Mariners.

Cain always liked the seafood in San Francisco so he returns for a 2 year 10 million deal.  The Rangers, desperate for pitching to go with their #1 offense trade underachieving outfielder Trey Griffey for him.

The Rangers re-sign him to a 2 year 9 million dollar deal to keep him there.  By 2021 his fastball has lost quite a bit and he can't keep up with the steroid infused hitters (yes they still exist).

In 2022, he goes to Washington as an NRI in spring training where pitching coach Greg Maddux teaches him to throw to spots and let movement get the hitters out.  The Yankees desperate to make the playoffs with their $300 million payroll trade an A ball pitcher for Cain.

Even though Cain pitched well the Yankees did not make the playoffs. The Yankees re-sign him to a 2 year 15 million deal.  He has elbow issues in spring training which the Yankees pitch him through.  He has surgery in May and never pitches again in the majors.

TJ surgery is more like changing a tire these days. Takes about a year, you are usually good as new, and don't experience the problem again. That's not what we see in Cain's "guesstimate" future