Miguel Cabrera to join Detroit Tigers front office upon retirement
Detroit Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera is on the final stretch of his playing career, but he is not ready to walk away from the sport of baseball or the organization that he spent the majority of his career with.
The Tigers announced Friday that Cabrera will join the organization’s front office as a Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations upon retirement.
Cabrera made it clear that he would retire from baseball at the end of the 2023 season. The future Hall of Famer now has three games left in his historic career before he hangs up his cleats for good.
Cabrera’s new role will see him serve as a special assistant to under President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris. This role will largely see Cabrera mentor the Tigers’ youth-filled roster.
“Lessons like how to deal with praise and pressure are exactly what we want Miguel teaching players throughout the organization,” Harris said. “I’m honored to have him as a part of our staff, and know he will continue to make the Tigers better in his new role.”
Cabrera has openly discussed continuing to work his baseball upon his retirement. Caberera’s goal has been to help the next generation of players. The Tigers were willing to oblige.
“It’s what I say to a lot of people: I want to stay with this team and help doing something,” Cabrera said. “I don’t want to coach, but I want to be around … I want to be around these guys. These guys are special.
The decision to keep Cabrera involved with the Tigers seemed to be unanimous. Christopher Ilitch, the Tigers owner and successor of his father Mike Illitch, was thrilled to keep Cabrera in Detroit.
“My father was incredibly fond of Miggy and made sure he was a Tiger for the remainder of his playing career,” Chris Ilitch said, referencing the eight-year, $248 million deal his father gave Cabrera in 2016. “We’re thrilled to extend our relationship into the next chapter of his life.
“While it may be the end of an era, it’s a new beginning as Miguel will continue to pass along his baseball wisdom, culture-shaping values, and mentorship to the next generation of Tigers players, who can aspire to the level of greatness that Miguel has achieved.”
As far as the future is concerned, Cabrera is optimistic the Tigers can put together a winning product.
“They’re growing right now,” Cabrera said. “They’re maturing and next year, these guys are going to be better. Bring in like two more hitters, someone to help Tork and Greene and Carp.”
The Detroit Tigers have quietly shown improvements throughout 2023. At the moment, they sit with 76 wins. That would be their second-highest win total since beginning to rebuild in 2017. If the Tigers’ young core can stay healthy in 2024, the team may have had a chance to eclipse the .500.
The Tigers front office has received significant reinforcements as of late. In addition to Cabrera’s mentorship role, Scott Greenberg was named the club’s next general manager.
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