Miguel Cabrera says 2023 will likely be his last season

Tigers star Miguel Cabrera will play his 21st big-league season in 2023 at age 40. On Monday, he revealed that it would also likely be his last.

The future Hall of Famer told MLB.com that he expects next year to be his last as an MLB player. The two-time American League MVP said he hopes to get through the season healthy and to help the Tigers win more games.

“I think it’s going to be my last year,” Cabrera said. “It feels a little weird to say that. I thought I wasn’t going to say that ever. But I think it’s time to say goodbye to baseball.”

Cabrera believes that the Tigers have the pieces to be better in 2023 than they were in ’22, when they finished 66–96 and came in fourth place in the AL Central. He said he’s ready to play whenever manager A.J. Hinch says, and that he’s not concerned about whether or not he’ll be an everyday player. Cabrera is entering the final year of his eight-year, $248 million contract he signed ahead of the ’16 season.