They had no shortage of chances in Miguel Cabrera's prime, but the Tigers always fell short. Now that the future Hall of Famer is nearing the end, he says "winning in Detroit" is the final goal of his career.
"I think that it’s something that we owe to the city, something that we have sought for many years but have always have come up short," Cabrera told reporter Yordano Carmona in a Spanish-language interview translated by MLive's Evan Woodberry.
Battling a chronic knee injury and approaching his 39th birthday, Cabrera plans to retire when his contract expires after next season -- he's owed $32 million this year and next. Beyond staying healthy this season, assuming there is a season in the face of an ongoing lockout, Cabrera said his top priority is “competing in our division."
"I think that if we can play good baseball, we have a decent chance. We have good talent on the team, and new pieces have been added. Hopefully we’re fortunate this year and win enough games," Cabrera said, via MLive.
The Tigers took a significant step forward last season in their first year under A.J. Hinch, rejuvenating Cabrera's competitive drive. He's far from the hitter he once was, but he still managed an average near .300 over the final four months of the season. Over the same stretch, the Tigers posted the second best record in the AL Central.
With Javier Baez arriving to fill a massive hole at shortstop, Eduardo Rodriguez joining a rotation of young talent and Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson on the precipice of Detroit, the Tigers are poised to take another step forward in 2022. By 2023, they could be true playoff contenders.
If Miggy recaptures some of the past along the way, his final baseball wish might come true. He said last summer that winning a World Series with the Tigers, the club he's played for since 2008, would make him even "prouder" than winning the Triple Crown in 2012, his favorite personal achievement.
"The city of Detroit, the Tigers organization, they deserve this, they deserve to win a championship. Hopefully we can do that. Have a good team, make a good run next year or the next year and try to win a championship here in Detroit," he said.
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