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Tigers agree to terms with Miguel Cabrera on eight-year contract extension

Eight-time All-Star's deal through the 2023 season with two vesting options for 2024 and 2025

DETROIT- The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has agreed to terms with first baseman Miguel Cabrera on an eight-year contract extension through the 2023 season with two vesting options for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Cabrera, 30, batted .348 (193x555) with 103 runs scored, 26 doubles, one triple, 44 home runs and 137 RBI in 148 games with the Tigers in the 2013 season. He captured his third consecutive American League batting crown becoming the first Tigers player to lead the league in hitting in three straight seasons since Ty Cobb did so from 1917-1919. Cabrera led the American League with a .442 on-base percentage and a .636 slugging percentage, while he was tied for first with 37 go-ahead RBI, and second with 44 home runs, 137 RBI and 353 total bases.

"Miguel is the most prolific hitter in baseball and one of the best players in the game," said Tigers President, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager David Dombrowski. "We are thrilled Miguel had a desire to continue his stellar career in Detroit and remain in a Tigers uniform for many years to come."

"I couldn't be more excited to stay in a Tigers uniform for the rest of my career," said Miguel Cabrera. "Since coming to Detroit, my family and I have been treated so great by the organization, so we'd like to thank Mr. Ilitch, Mr. Dombrowski and all the Tigers fans for all the support. I'm thrilled that I'll continue to represent the great city of Detroit and the amazing fans for many years to come."

Cabrera has been selected an All-Star eight times during his career, including four times in the National League with the Florida Marlins (2004-07) and four times with the Tigers (2010-13). Cabrera has batted .321 (1995x6218) with 1064 runs scored, 412 doubles, 14 triples, 365 home runs and 1260 RBI in 1660 games during his major league career. Acquired by the Tigers from the Florida Marlins in December of 2007, Cabrera was originally signed by the Marlins as a non-drafted free agent in July of 1999. He is currently fifth all-time in Detroit club history with a .327 career batting average and eighth with 227 home runs. (Source: Baseball-Reference)

Cabrera was named the American League's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year in 2013, joining Hal Newhouser as the only two players in franchise history to win the award in back-to-back seasons. He is one of only eight Tigers players to capture the MVP award, joining Mickey Cochrane (1934), Hank Greenberg (1935, 1940), Charlie Gehringer (1937), Hal Newhouser (1944, 1945), Denny McLain (1968), Willie Hernandez (1984) and Justin Verlander (2011) in accomplishing the feat. He became the first native of Venezuela to be named the Most Valuable Player.

He led the American League with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI during the 2012 season to become the first player to capture the Triple Crown since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski did so in 1967. It marked the 14th time since 1900 in which a player won the Triple Crown. He became the 12th player to accomplish the feat during that time and the second Tigers player to do so, joining Ty Cobb (1909).

He has led the American League in batting average (2011, 2012, 2013), home runs (2008, 2012) and RBI (2010, 2012) during his Tigers career, joining Ty Cobb to become only the second player in Tigers history to lead the American League in all three categories. He has collected 100-or-more RBI in each of his last 10 seasons (2004-13) and is the only major league player with 100-or-more RBI in each of the past 10 seasons.

He established the Miguel Cabrera Foundation in 2012, has participated in Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids, provided the seed money to launch Play Baseball Detroit, hosted "Keeping Kids in the Game" to raise over $200,000 to benefit the Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, the Miguel Cabrera Foundation and the Detroit Tigers Foundation and has continued his "Cabrera's Chamitos" program at Comerica Park. Additionally, he was named the Tigers winner of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2012 and 2013.

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