Miguel Cabrera, who joined the 3,000 hit club during the 2022 season, confirmed on Monday that his playing career will likely conclude sometime next year. "It feels a little weird to say that," he told MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. "I thought I'm not going to say never, but I think it's time to say goodbye to baseball."
Cabrera, 39, added that he would like to remain a member of the Detroit Tigers organization, with whom he'd like to assist younger players.
Cabrera's announcement should come as no surprise. If anything, it was a predictable outcome given that the guaranteed portion of his contract runs through next season. (He'll make $32 million in 2023 before being owed an $8 million buyout on a pair of club options.) Cabrera's contract has kept him on the roster despite a cratered level of production. Indeed, he hasn't posted an OPS+ of 100 or better since 2020, and he hasn't topped the 110-mark since 2018.
Nevertheless, Cabrera is certain to find himself in Cooperstown someday. In addition to 3,000 hits, he's also collected more than 500 home runs and is a 12-time All-Star (he was named to last summer's event by commissioner Rob Manfred) and a two-time Most Valuable Player Award recipient, with his most recent victory coming on the heels of a Triple Crown win in 2013.
Cabrera has hit .308/.384/.524 (142 OPS+) with 67.7 Wins Above Replacement for his career. Roughly 50 of those WAR came with the Tigers, ranking him 13th all-time in Detroit history.
The Tigers originally acquired Cabrera (along with former lefty Dontrelle Willis) as part of a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins in December 2007.