The Detroit Tigers announced that their long-time superstar and future Hall of Famer, Miguel Cabrera, may be nearing an endpoint in his career. The recent news from the organization points to the idea that Cabrera may be running out of steam.
A life without Miguel Cabrera may be coming sooner than expected, with the Detroit Tigers a little concerned about the health of his knee. Cabrera is dealing with a knee injury that continues to linger and be a real problem for the veteran.
#Tigers Miguel Cabrera, who’s battling a lingering knee injury, says he’s not sure about life beyond this season.
“I gotta talk to my agent. I gotta talk to the GM. I gotta talk to everybody. Right now, we don’t know. We focus about today…and we see what happens.”
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) August 4, 2022
While Cabrera indicates he’s got plenty of conversations ahead, and the future beyond 2022 hangs in the balance, there could be implications as early as today/tomorrow. Cabrera is 39 years old and nearing the end of his career anyways, but the time to hand them up could come even quicker than expected.
Looking ahead, he is owed $32 million on his contract in 2023 to finish up his eight-year deal with the Tigers he signed back in 2016. It’s going to be a lot of “load management” through the end of the season. Cabrera may not be around come 2023, and the post-Cabrera world could be pretty interesting.
Detroit Tigers veteran Miguel Cabrera is in his final days.
It’s been a long ride for Cabrera, who has been a centerpiece of this organization for 15 years. He’s been through the ups and downs of this team and solidified himself as a future Hall of Famer. The 2013 Triple Crown winner, 12-time all-star, and two-time MVP winner has had a great career.
Not to mention in 2022, where he captured his 3,000th career hit. He’s also grabbed another milestone with his 600th career double back in May. He was named an honorary all-star alongside Albert Pujols, who is also nearing the end of his career.
It’s been a bit of a farewell tour as teams and players understand Cabrera’s time in the big leagues is ending soon. But with this nagging knee injury, it could be quicker. For the time being, it seems that Cabrera will wind up being an every other day starter, monitoring the situation closely with A.J. Hinch.
The Tigers are obviously aiming to keep him around for the clubhouse value and business value at the very least. It’s going to be something to monitor almost daily, but Cabrera could be running out of time before his body tells him he has to be done.
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What does life look like after Miguel Cabrera’s time with the Detroit Tigers ends?
Cabrera has anchored a corner infield position for the team for 15 years. Whether at first or third base, he’s been a significant piece of what the Tigers had built in the 2010s. While more recently, he’s been a designated hitter and a first baseman, he’s still finding ways to contribute.
The Tigers have been able to see Cabrera morph from the big-time superstar into the seasoned veteran who’s mentoring the younger players around him. When the time comes for Cabrera to retire and leave the team in the past, it will leave a hole in the lineup.
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While the Tigers are letting Spencer Torkelson marinate in Triple-A Toledo with the Mud Hens, there’s going to come a time where he deserves a call-up. Without Cabrera around, it carves up the opportunity for Torkelson to play first every day.
This could also mean more reps over at first for Jonathan Schoop to fill a gap, plugging in some Triple-A call-ups around the infield elsewhere. Without Cabrera, things will be pretty bleak. Even with Cabrera struggling as of late, piecing together a “meh” season. He’s managed a .132/.231/.206 with only three extra-base hits.
The struggles are real, with a knee injury being to blame. Overall in 2022, he’s been one of the better bats in a lineup without anything else looking good. Cabrera has slashed .271/.321/.336 with nine doubles and four home runs with 36 RBI.
Things will change without Cabrera in the lineup day in and day out. With the lingering knee injury, the Tigers could be seeing less and less of Cabrera with the end of his time in the big leagues coming sooner than expected. It will take a lot of conversations with Cabrera and the Tigers’ staff about how to keep him playing for the time being.
