Embed from Getty Images On a team that in 2019 is going nowhere. On an organization setting it’s sights on a brighter tomorrow, one thing remains. Miguel Cabrera and his eight-year, $244 million contract extension from the Tigers in 2014.
At 35 years old and his best playing days behind him Cabrera is owed $162 million through 2023. The past two seasons, he’s missed 156 games with injuries.
There was a time that Miguel Cabrera put fans in the Comerica Park seats. A lot of fans. In his prime he was among the greatest right-handed hitters that game has ever seen. Recently there has been a problem. The past two seasons, Miguel missed 156 games with injuries. While collecting a large sum of money.
While the blame falls squarely on the Detroit Tigers. That is because they made him the offer. There is no athlete that would not take that contract. That is where things are right now player in decline and the team stuck with a bad contract.
Cabrera says he’s all-in, for the Detroit rebuild, and has no interest in going anywhere else. He wants to be around when the Tigers win again. Cabrera has stated he wants to lead a new group of Tiger players back to the playoffs.
Being that his contract is untradeable there really is not much more he can say. Cabrera has to know he can not ask for a trade. No team would take on that contract for a 35 year old now oft-injured player.
When he goes into the Hall of Fame, and he will, he will go with Tigers cap. He has to. The hope in all of this is that the Detroit Tigers have learned a lesson about what size contract to hand out.
The will have that opportunity again after next season when the team beings to pursue free agents once again. No need to overpay. That hopefully is a thing of the past.