On Thursday, longtime Detroit Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera expressed that he wasn’t sure about his future playing the sport and was not confident he’d return for the 2023 MLB season.
One day later, his tune changed, and he seemed adamant about returning to play another year.
At 39, Cabrera has shown a decline at the plate and has a wavering knee, which plagues him some days and is manageable on others. Even Tigers manager A.J. Hinch isn’t optimistic about Cabrera’s knee situation.
“I don’t think it’s gonna get a ton better,” Hinch said this week. “He has his good days. He has his bad days. I’m obviously very concerned because with his age and how he’s much he’s played, there’s no real resolution other than you fight through it.”
Cabrera is in the middle of his 20th season and is a 12-time MLB All-Star (most by any active player). Over his 20 seasons, he’s batted a combined .309 while knocking out 506 home runs and 1,840 RBIs. He’s one of two active players with 3,000-plus hits (3,074), only trailing Albert Pujols, who currently sits at 3,340. He’s also one of seven players in MLB history with 3,000-plus hits and 500-plus home runs in his career.
Some more of Cabrera’s accolades include being a 2003 World Series champion with the Miami Marlins, winning seven Silver Slugger Awards, four American League batting titles, two Hank Aaron Awards, two AL home run titles and two RBI titles. He also had a batting average of .300 or more in 11 of his 20 seasons, the most by any active player, and won back-to-back AL MVPs in 2012-13.
There’s a contractual incentive for Cabrera to play another season. He’s under contract for $32 million next season.
Cabrera is hitting .271/.321/.336 with four home runs in 90 games this season.
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