Detroit Tigers

One of the greatest baseball players of his generation is coming back for a 21st season.

Miguel Cabrera revealed Friday to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News that he will return to the Detroit Tigers for the 2023 season.

"No way am I going to quit…Next year I’m going to be right here," Cabrera said.

This has seemingly been the plan for some time for Cabrera, who previously said he planned to play through the 2023 campaign.

"My right knee is really bad," Cabrera told ESPN's Sage Steele in August 2021 (h/t Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press) . "I need to take care of this in the offseason and prepare myself for next season. I say two more years. I think that's enough. I will be happy with 20 years in the big leagues if I can make it. Thank God for giving me this opportunity. Two more years and I'm done."

Retiring after 2023 makes sense from a timing perspective considering he is under contract through that season with mutual options for 2024 and 2025. He will make $32 million in what figures to be his final season at 40 years old.

Yet things seemed to change some during the 2022 season.

"I don't feel well right now," he said in August, per Petzold. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play, but I don't feel really good right now."

Cabrera also said he planned on discussing his status with his agent, Tigers general manager Al Avila and "everybody" before he decided on retiring or returning for the 2023 campaign.

There also seemed to be a ceremonial passing of the torch to the next generation in July when he and Albert Pujols were named to the All-Star Game. The league even called the two legendary players "special All-Star selections" in its announcement, and the entire thing took on the feeling of a goodbye to two players who would be retiring.

Throw in the fact that Cabrera recorded the 3,000th hit of his career during an April game against the Colorado Rockies, and there wasn't much left to achieve.

He became the seventh player in league history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, joining a list of all-time greats in Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.

Perhaps a retirement would have been natural after all that, but he will look to add to a resume that includes a World Series title, two American League MVPs, a Triple Crown, seven Silver Sluggers, four batting titles and 12 All-Star selections.

The championship came in 2003 as a member of the Miami Marlins when he was a rookie in the first of five seasons with the National League team. The final four of them were All-Star campaigns, although Miami traded him to the Tigers ahead of the 2008 season.

He became the face of the Tigers during the next 15 years with back-to-back MVPs in 2012 and 2013, a World Series appearance and a Triple Crown. The Triple Crown came in his first MVP season when he finished with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI for a team that lost to the San Francisco Giants in the Fall Classic.

It will all be enough for an all-but-guaranteed spot in the Hall of Fame once he hangs up the cleats, but that will apparently be on hold through at least the upcoming season.

At 39 years old, Miguel Cabrera's career in Major League Baseball is undoubtedly winding down, and the Detroit Tigers veteran is unsure if he'll return for the 2023 season or retire.

Cabrera intends to meet with his agent, Tigers general manager Al Avila and others before making a decision about his status for 2023.

"I don't feel well right now," Cabrera told reporters Thursday. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play, but I don't feel really good right now."

Cabrera is set to earn $32 million with the Tigers in 2023, which is the final year of his contract.

The Venezuelan was diagnosed with a chronic right knee injury in 2019. At the time, he consulted four surgeons, but surgery was not recommended and he has been trying to manage the ailment since.

That management resulted in Cabrera shifting from first base to designated hitter, but he's still been experiencing issues with his knee, especially of late. Since July 8, the veteran is hitting just .132/.231/.206 with one home run and five RBI in 20 games.

For comparison, from April 8 through July 6, Cabrera was hitting .308/.347/.372 with three home runs and 31 RBI in 70 games.

With his production having plummeted, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch recently told reporters that he was going to try to give Cabrera some extra days off here and there.

"I've talked to him about playing time moving forward and trying to get him a few more regularly scheduled days off," Hinch said. "We want to take some at-bats and give them to some guys. I may sprinkle in a few more off days and be careful with him."

Hinch also mentioned that Cabrera has been "fighting" through the pain and that it's something the team has been monitoring.

Detroit is fourth in the AL Central with a 42-64 record. With no chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs, it would be wise to give Cabrera some much-needed rest.

If the star slugger's career comes to an end after the 2022 campaign, he'll undoubtedly be a candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Cabrera has spent the last 15 seasons of his career in Detroit after beginning his career with the then-Florida Marlins from 2003-07.

In five seasons with the Marlins, he was a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and helped the club capture the 2003 World Series title.

Since joining the Tigers, he has been selected to eight All-Star games, including seven straight from 2010-16, was named MVP in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013 and has earned five Silver Slugger awards.

In addition, Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012, which, at the time, was baseball's first in 45 years. He has also won the Batting Title four times, including three straight from 2011-13, with the fourth coming in 2015.

In 20 seasons, he is hitting .309/.385/.526 with 3,074 hits, 506 home runs and 1,840 RBI. He is one of 33 players in MLB history to have reached 3,000 hits and one of 28 players to have hit 500 home runs.

While sitting in last place in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers appear to be willing to tear down their roster in hopes of building toward the future.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that the Tigers are indicating to teams "just about everyone is available" ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, including promising young starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.

Skubal has been one of the few bright spots in a dismal season for Detroit. Through 19 starts, he has a 7-8 record with a 3.88 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 106.2 innings.

The 25-year-old started the year with a 5-2 record and 2.33 ERA in his first 11 starts. He stumbled with losses in his next five outings before bouncing back in his last three appearances. Skubal will be back on the mound Wednesday for the Tigers' series finale against the San Diego Padres.

Skubal is under club control through 2026 and is over a year away from salary arbitration. Rosenthal added that he's heard speculation that the Tigers "are trying to be opportunistic and extract a big return for Skubal" from teams that don't land more proven starters prior to the trade deadline.

Detroit improved to 39-58 with a 12-4 win over San Diego on Monday. It was the team's third win in its last 10 games. Entering Tuesday, the Tigers averaged a major league-low 3.22 runs per game. The team's pitching hasn't been much better, ranking 21st in the majors with an ERA of 4.17.

Moving Skubal would likely garner a strong package of prospects, so teams might not be willing to meet Detroit's asking price. However, the Tigers have a slew of relievers they can deal, including two-time All-Star closer Gregory Soto.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez suffered a left upper arm contusion in Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins, the team announced.

Per MLB.com's Jason Beck, Baez "seemed to be dealing with discomfort" after he was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. He was replaced by Victor Reyes in the bottom of the sixth.

Baez was placed on the 10-day injured list April 16 with right thumb soreness. He suffered the injury while celebrating his Opening Day walk-off hit against the Chicago White Sox on April 8.

The 29-year-old joined the Tigers this season on a six-year, $140 million deal after spending at least part of eight seasons with the Chicago Cubs and a short stint with the New York Mets in 2021.

In 138 games split between the Cubs and Mets last season, Baez slashed .265/.319/.494 with 31 home runs and 87 RBI. He hasn't lived up to his contract this season, hitting .218/.259/.634 with nine home runs and 36 RBI through 81 games.

The Tigers were 38-57 entering Sunday, fourth place in the AL Central.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday a pair of legendary first basemen, the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols and Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, will take part in the 2022 All-Star Game as legacy selections.

The league will celebrate their career accomplishments as part of the 92nd Midsummer Classic, which will take place July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Manfred said in a statement:

I am delighted that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to participate in the All-Star Game. Albert and Miguel are two of the most accomplished players of their generation. They have also represented the baseball traditions of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela with excellence for the last two decades. Albert and Miguel are two all-time greats whose achievements warrant this special recognition.

Pujols announced in March he will retire following the 2022 season. Cabrera told ESPN's Sage Steele last year that he plans to play out his contract (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). His eight-year, $248 million deal is guaranteed through 2023.

They are two of the best pure hitters of their generation.

Pujols has compiled a .296/.374/.541 slash line across 3,016 games with the Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers. He debuted with St. Louis in 2001 and returned to the Cards for the 2022 season to put the final touches on his Hall of Fame career.

Cabrera, 39, reached the 3,000-hit plateau this season after surpassing the 500-homer mark in 2021. His career slash line stands at .310/.386/.528 after 2,657 appearances.

He's no longer the Triple Crown threat he was during his peak seasons, hitting just three long balls in 70 games this season, but he's still put up a .347 on-base percentage in 2022.

Cabrera started his career with the Florida Marlins in 2003 before arriving in Detroit in 2008. He and Pujols have combined for 23 All-Star selections, 13 Silver Slugger Awards, five MVP Awards and three World Series titles.

Starters for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game will be announced Friday night followed by the full roster reveal Sunday.

The Detroit Tigers have started the season just 26-42, already leaving them 11.5 games out of first place in the AL Central, and major question marks have emerged about general manager Al Avila and manager A.J. Hinch.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, some rival executives "question whether Avila is creative and savvy enough to build a consistent winner," while folks in Detroit "wonder if Hinch might bolt, pointing to an April 2021 report that said his contract included an opt-out clause."

Avila has denied that Finch's deal—which reportedly runs through the 2025 season—has that clause, however.

In parts of two seasons with the Tigers, Hinch has led the team to a 103-127 record after finishing third in the AL Central last season.

As Rosenthal noted, a lot has gone wrong outside of Hinch's control. Casey Mize and Matt Manning have dealt with injuries, while one of the team's prized additions in free agency this offseason, Eduardo Rodriguez, has been on the restricted list since June 13 and was injured prior to that move.

That has left the Tigers without three-fifths of their starting rotation for a healthy chunk of the season.

Meanwhile, the team's other major offseason addition, infielder Javier Baez, has struggled this year (.209 with five homers and 19 RBI). Jonathan Schoop, Jeimer Candelario and Robbie Grossman have also surprisingly struggled at the plate after strong 2021 seasons.

And help likely isn't inbound from the farm system in the immediate future, with many of their top prospects coming from the past two drafts. While that could give them some ammunition to trade for veteran players, it would be nonsensical for a team likely already out of playoff contention to make win-now moves.

The better option is becoming sellers come the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

So unless the Tigers are savvy spenders in free agency next winter—or undergo some significant internal improvement—the club could be a few years away from legitimate contention, at best.

For Hinch, who regularly had the Houston Astros in the mix before he was fired amid the team's sign-stealing scandal, perhaps that wait won't be worth the trouble.

Amid their struggles this season, the Detroit Tigers are hoping to get a spark from top prospect Riley Greene.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Greene will be called up prior to Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers and be the team's full-time center fielder.

There was hope that Greene would make the Tigers' Opening Day roster, but he fractured his foot late in spring training after fouling a pitch against the New York Yankees.

Greene made his season debut on May 27 with the Tigers' Single-A affiliate in Lakeland, Florida. He was called up to Triple-A after two games. The 21-year-old is hitting .279/.347/.382 with one homer and four stolen bases in 17 minor league contests.

The Tigers selected Greene with the No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft. He received a $6.2 million signing bonus two days later.

In 198 career minor league games, Greene has a .291/.372/.483 slash line with 30 homers, 120 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

Greene is the No. 2 prospect in Major League Baseball, per MLB.com. He's ranked behind Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, who was called up to the big leagues last month.

"The weight of the world is not on his shoulders," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters about calling up Greene. "We have a lot of guys that need to pick up the slack...If we expect him to be the sole reason for an offensive turnaround, that’s completely unfair to him."

According to MLB.com's scouting report, Greene has "a potent combination of hit and power tools from the left side" with "power that has gone from raw strength to in-game prowess with some added muscle."

The addition of Greene comes at a time when the Tigers are trying to find an identity amid their ongoing rebuild. The front office did spend money during the offseason to sign Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez.

Things haven't gone as planned in Detroit. Rodriguez hasn't pitched since May 18 because of a rib injury and subsequent personal matter. Baez has a .524 OPS in 51 games. Spencer Torkelson, who was the team's No. 2 prospect coming into 2022, per The Athletic's Keith Law, has been a disappointment with a .569 OPS in 57 games.

The Tigers' 24-39 record is the third-worst mark in the American League entering Friday. Greene alone won't change their fortunes, but he has the potential to provide a much-needed spark to a team that has failed to live up to even slightly elevated expectations.

The Detroit Tigers called up 26-year-old infielder and outfielder Kody Clemens to the major leagues on Monday. 

Clemens is the youngest son of former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. 

Clemens, a third-round pick of the Tigers in 2018 (No. 79 overall), is the club's No. 17 overall prospect, per MLB.com. 

In 45 games for Triple-A Toledo this season he's hitting .283 with eight homers, 31 RBI, 27 runs, 52 strikeouts and an .844 OPS in 45 games. In 97 Triple-A games last season he hit 18 homers and 59 RBI. 

"We don't need him to be superman," manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Monday. "He's not the answer to all of our problems, but this is an opportunity for him to elbow his way into the big leagues for the first time, and he's earned that. ... He's performed his way here."

In a corresponding roster move, the Tigers put outfielder Robbie Grossman on the 10-day injured list (neck strain).

"If [Clemens] can come up and do what he's done in Triple-A, it'll be a nice boost for us and a nice addition to the lineup," Hinch added. "It's going to create some crazy defensive alignments. Replacing Robbie, who's all outfield, with an infielder is a challenge, but his bat is what got him here."

Clemens has played first base (eight games), second base (18 games), third base (11 games) and left field (10 games) this season for Toledo. He also played 24 games in right field for Toledo last season, so Clemens has the ability to operate as a true utility man for the Tigers. 

His primary position, however, has been second base in his young career. Jonathan Schoop has that covered for the Tigers, so Clemens will likely serve as a corner infielder and corner outfielder during his time in Detroit.

"We've been very careful with when we're going to call him up," Hinch said. "Putting him on the bench makes you feel better, but it might not make you any closer to winning. But his name has been tossed around a couple different times. Now, we're going to force him into the lineup."

The 3,000-hit club has a new member. 

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera became the 33rd player in MLB history to accomplish the feat with his first-inning single on the Colorado Rockies' Antonio Senzatela at home in Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon.

The 39-year-old also joined an even more exclusive club, becoming the seventh player in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. The only other players on that list are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. 

Paring that down even further, Cabrera is just one of three players with a career .300 batting average, 3,000 hit and 500 home runs, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Add them to the list of accomplishments in the future Hall of Famer's career. Cabrera is an 11-time All-Star, two-time MVP four-time batting champion, seven-time Silver Slugger and a 2003 MLB champion. 

His 2012 season (.330 with 44 homers and 139 RBI) was one of the most impressive offensive displays in recent memory, after he became the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to hit for the triple crown. Not surprisingly he was named MVP that season, his first of two in a row. 

Between the 2004-16 seasons, Cabrera hit 30 or more home runs 10 times, 40 or more twice, knocked in 100 RBI 12 times and hit .300 or better 11 times. 

His career fell off a bit from there, as injuries and the natural decline that comes with age affected his availability and production. In 130 games last year, he hit just .256 with 15 homers and 75 RBI. Hardly shabby numbers but not comparable to the heights he hit in his prime, when he was consistently one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the sport. 

Any conversation about the best hitter from the first two decades of the 21st century had better include Cabrera and Pujols. 

Cabrera won't catch baseball's all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, who registered an astonishing 4,256 in his career. And he would have been a Hall of Famer without this milestone.

But it sure will look good on that plaque in Cooperstown nonetheless.