DETROIT — Might want to hold off on Miguel Cabrera’s retirement party.
A day after he talked about the seriousness of his knee pain and the uncertainty of his future, Cabrera wanted to clarify one thing.
“I’m not going to retire,” he said, pulling me away from a chat with Riley Greene. “Not until after next year when my contract is done. They didn’t understand what I said. No way am I going to quit.”
Cabrera and manager AJ Hinch have discussed limiting his playing time the rest of this season. He’s going to be the team’s designated hitter every other day, for the most part. He was not in the lineup Friday night.
To a small group of reporters before the game Thursday, including The Detroit News’ Nolan Bianchi, Cabrera said: "We’ve got to talk to my agent. We’ve got to talk to the GM, we’ve got to talk to everybody, see what's going to be the plan for next year. So right now, we don't know. We focus about today. We're going to go day by day and see what happens.
"But it's nothing like — I don't think about next year right now. I think about trying to finish healthy this year."
It was the first time Cabrera seemed to indicate he might consider leaving the game before his contract expired. He’d always been steadfast that he would honor his contract, which will pay him $32 million this year and next, and play through 2023.
That news spread fast and was a topic on MLB Network and other national talk sports programs. Cabrera seemed bent on setting the record straight Friday.
“You’ve got to correct that,” he said. “I’m not going to quit. I am going to play out my contract.”
He understands, certainly, that his health may ultimately decide how much or even if he plays next season. He’s played through chronic pain in his right knee the last five years.
Through the first few months, he was able to manage the pain and was hitting close to .300 at the All-Star break. Since then, it’s been a struggle. He’s admitted the pain has intensified.
He and Hinch have been on the same page about reducing his workload.
"I don't want to hurt the team,” Cabrera said Thursday. “I don't want to put them in a bad position. I'm OK with (not playing as much).
“I love this city. I don't want to hurt this city.”
Hinch said the issue of when Cabrera retires is a non-topic for him.
“Miggy can do what he wants,” he said. “He’s in control of whatever he’s going to do. The knee is still bothersome and we have to be very careful with him. This plan here (to play him every other day) has nothing to do with what his future plans are.”
For now, Cabrera is committed to doing what he can to get his knee right, to helping the team as much as he can and to honoring his contract.
“I’m an animal,” he said, breaking into his superhero voice. “I’m a wild dog. I’m going to fight.”
Then, in a more serious tone, he said, “Next year is going to go way better. Next year I’m going to be right here.”
