Miguel Cabrera to Play Final Baseball Season in Venezuela After MLB Retirement

The two-time AL MVP wants to play in his home country after taking a year to rest.

Miguel Cabrera isn’t quite done playing baseball after retiring from MLB.

The two-time American League MVP finished his 21-year major league career with the Tigers this past season. However, he isn’t ready to put his bat away yet. The 2013 Triple Crown winner wants to play for his native country.

Cabrera, 40, told reporters in Venezuela on Monday that he plans to play for Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League during the 2024–25 season. He last played in his home country during the 2007–08 season, appearing in seven games. Cabrera has also represented Venezuela in five World Baseball Classics.

“I would like to play one more year, competing, playing well and winning with these young players,” Cabrera said, per translation by El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes. “I’m going to prepare properly, plan my final season next year and make it big like it was in the U.S.”

40-year-old Miguel Cabrera competed in a home run derby two months after retiring. Legend pic.twitter.com/WJQ4LKKyke

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) December 12, 2023

Tigres de Aragua are already playing their 2023–24 season, so Cabrera won’t join the team until next season. Besides wanting to play a complete season in Venezuela, the future Hall of Famer also wants to be fully healthy for that campaign. He plans to rest his chronically injured right knee after playing 98 games with Detroit. 

“I want to be physically ready,” Cabrera added. “I always say that I don’t want to be embarrassed and if I‘m doing something, I’m doing it right.” 

During the past three seasons, Cabrera reached 500 career home runs and notched his 3,000th career hit. He finished his MLB career with a .306 batting average, .901 OPS, 511 home runs and 3,174 hits playing for the Marlins and Tigers.