AJ Hinch’s comments on Miguel Cabrera could hint at second career with Tigers
Detroit Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera may have retired from Major League Baseball after the 2023 season, but anyone who knows him knew that the future Hall of Famer wouldn’t be able to stay away for long.
Sure enough, the 42-year-old announced last Friday that he will play this winter for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Cabrera, who last played in his native Venezuela in 2007-08, first signed with the Tigres when he was 16 years old and recorded his first professional hit there in 1999. After a 21-year Major League career with the Florida Marlins and the Tigers, he’s going back to where it all began.
AJ Hinch’s comments on Miguel Cabrera could hint at second career with Tigers
It’s been a busy month for Cabrera, who three weeks ago was announced as the hitting coach for Team Venezuela at next year’s World Baseball Classic. Since his retirement in 2023, he has also remained part of the Tigers organization as a special assistant under president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
“He wants to play, he wants to coach,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch told reporters, including Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. “He’s going to be good at either, but I think it’s really cool that he recognizes his place in baseball history and is willing to contribute so much in Venezuela, but also here with the Tigers.’’
Sure enough, the 42-year-old announced last Friday that he will play this winter for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Cabrera, who last played in his native Venezuela in 2007-08, first signed with the Tigres when he was 16 years old and recorded his first professional hit there in 1999. After a 21-year Major League career with the Florida Marlins and the Tigers, he’s going back to where it all began.
AJ Hinch’s comments on Miguel Cabrera could hint at second career with Tigers
It’s been a busy month for Cabrera, who three weeks ago was announced as the hitting coach for Team Venezuela at next year’s World Baseball Classic. Since his retirement in 2023, he has also remained part of the Tigers organization as a special assistant under president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
“He wants to play, he wants to coach,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch told reporters, including Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. “He’s going to be good at either, but I think it’s really cool that he recognizes his place in baseball history and is willing to contribute so much in Venezuela, but also here with the Tigers.’’
Perhaps, once he completes his farewell tour in Venezuela, Cabrera could take a more hands-on role in player development for the Tigers? He certainly looked the part back in March, when he visited Tigers spring training in his role as special assistant.
Cabrera’s illustrious Major League career came to an end with 3,174 career hits and 511 home runs. He spent the majority of his career in Detroit, where he won back-to-back American League MVP awards in 2012-13. In 16 seasons with the Tigers, Cabrera was named to the AL All-Star team eight times and won five Silver Slugger Awards.
If Cabrera does have a future in coaching, hopefully he spends at least part of it in Detroit. Tigers players can learn a lot from him, and fans would love to have him back in the Motor City.
