Detroit Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera has one year left on his current contract after this season and reportedly intends to play it out.
According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Cabrera told McCosky directly that he does not plan on retiring after the 2022 season.
Cabrera said that he wants to finish out his contract and retire after next season.
Miguel Cabrera just told me, directly, that he has no intention of retiring after this year. His plan, he said, is to finish out his contract and retire after 2023.
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) August 5, 2022
On Thursday, Cabrera indicated to reporters that he was unsure about whether he would play after 2022 due to health reasons. The 39-year-old said that he has not been feeling well but is still trying to get out on the field and play.
While Cabrera has been worn down by knee injuries as he has gotten older, his career has been among the all-time best for a right-handed hitter. The 12-time All-Star has four batting titles and a Triple Crown. Cabrera has the 25th-most hits in MLB history (3,074) and the 27th most home runs (506). While he is hitting .268 this season, he had just four homers and a .332 slugging percentage entering Friday. Those power numbers are a drastic decrease from his prime.
In 2023, Cabrera is highly unlikely to produce at a level that warrants the $32 million payday he will receive. But his presence will provide fans in Detroit and around the country a chance to bid farewell to a likely future Hall of Famer.
