MLBBy Matt Clapp on

Miguel Cabrera took a swing in the third inning of the Tigers’ game against the Twins on Tuesday, and immediately grabbed his left arm before walking off the field. What an MRI later revealed was probably not a surprise to the future Hall of Famer.

Cabrera was diagnosed with a ruptured left biceps tendon which will require season-ending surgery.

Cabrera, 35, had a .299/.395/.448 slash line in 38 games for Detroit this season. He’s battled injuries for the last two years, after performing at an MVP level just about annually from 2005-2016 (and he did in fact win two AL MVP awards). He entered play on Tuesday night with an absurd career slash line of .316/.395/.551 in 9,685 plate appearances. He’s one of the very best right-handed hitters of all-time.

Now, for the 2018 Tigers, this doesn’t really change much, aside from ticket sales. The Tigers are 31-37 and are rebuilding.

But with his age, season-ending surgery coming, and frequent injuries over the last two years, it’s fair to wonder how much is left in the tank for Miggy. And that’s quite concerning for the Tigers when you consider what’s left on his contract (via FanGraphs):

  • 2018: $30M, 2019: $30M, 2020: $30M, 2021: $30M, 2022: $32M, 2023: $32M

  • 2024 Team Option: $30M ($8M buyout)

    • Becomes guaranteed with Top 10 MVP finish

  • 2025 Team Option: $30M

    • Becomes guaranteed with Top 10 MVP finish

It certainly makes things tougher for a team to rebuild when they have a contract like that to deal with. Cabrera can clearly still hit if healthy, so the Tigers just hope he can be next year and at least give them a semi-fair return on the money they’ll be paying him over the next few years. Either way, they’re not going to complain too much about what they’re having to pay one of the greatest players in franchise history.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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