Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera has enjoyed a sensational career in Major League Baseball. The 38-year-old has spent 19 seasons in the big leagues as a member of the Tigers and the Florida Marlins.
It's no secret that Cabrera is past his prime, but his current eight-year contract with the Tigers will keep him on the payroll through the 2025 season. You can bet your bottom dollar that Cabrera will happily accept those paychecks until his eventual retirement.
With nearly 20 seasons in MLB under his belt, "Miggy" is absolutely filthy rich, and his wealth should continue to grow over the next few years.
So, just how much is Miguel Cabrera worth?
Early Life and MLB Career
July 2, 1999: The Florida Marlins sign 16-year-old prospect Miguel Cabrera as an amateur free agent.
Dave Dombrowski, then the Marlins' GM, later said: "He was doing things with the bat that people at 16 don't do" pic.twitter.com/vHn9f30Ar0
— Tigers History (@TigersHistory) July 2, 2018
RELATED: Miguel Cabrera Threw Punches During Wild Tigers-Yankees Brawl
Jose Miguel Cabrera Torres was born and raised in Maracay, Venezuela, to parents Miguel and Gregoria Cabrera. He excelled at baseball from a young age. He was just 14 years old when he was selected by the Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League.
The Florida Marlins were impressed with Cabrera and brought him on board as an international free agent. They signed the 16-year-old for $1.8 million, and he turned down offers of more than $2 million to head to Miami. He started out in the minor leagues, playing in the Gulf Coast League as a shortstop before working his way up to the Majors.
Cabrera made his MLB debut in 2003 when he was just 20 years old, the second-youngest player to debut for the team. Following his rookie season, the third baseman made four consecutive National League All-Star games and two Silver Slugger awards.
He won his lone World Series title as a rookie, defeating the New York Yankees in a six-game series. He also won an epic at-bat against the legendary Roger Clemens during that series:
Miggy played five sensational seasons for the Marlins before being traded alongside Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a package of prospects. Two of them, Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, became everyday MLB players.
Cabrera has been in Detroit ever since the 2008 blockbuster trade. The Venezuelan professional baseball player has played 14 seasons for the Tigers, transitioning to first base and making seven American League All-Star teams during that span. He won the AL MVP award in 2012 after winning the Triple Crown, and he won MVP again in 2013 when he won the batting title with a career-best .348 batting average.
MLB Contracts & Endorsements
Through the 2021 season, Cabrera has earned more than $321 million in MLB contracts.
The two-time American League Most Valuable Player had initially signed an eight-year contract extension with the Tigers worth $152 million. That deal ran through the 2015 season, and the Tigers surprisingly re-upped the then-30-year-old Cabrera with another lucrative eight-year agreement, this one worth a jaw-dropping $248 million.
Cabrera is making a base salary of $30 million in 2021. That number jumps to $32 million in 2022 and 2023 and falls back down to $30 million in 2024 and 2025.
While Miggy was productive for the first year of his eight-year deal, he has not made an All-Star game since 2016 and has seen a dramatic reduction in his power as a hitter.
Cabrera could join an elite company in 2021 as he's approaching the coveted 500-home run threshold as well as 3,000 hits. Additionally, Miggy has more than 1,750 RBIs in his career and a lifetime batting average of .311.
Whenever he does decide to call it quits (I'm guessing after he collects another $30 million in 2025), it won't take long for him to earn enshrinement in Cooperstown.
According to Forbes, Cabrera has endorsements and sponsorship deals with Adidas, Franklin Sports, Topps and Wilson Sporting Goods.
Miguel Cabrera's "Secret Family"
It's no surprise that Cabrera is a wealthy man. He and his longtime wife Rosangel surely live a life of luxury.
However, Cabrera secretly had two children with another woman named Belkis Rodriguez, who in 2017 sued the MLB player for child support. Cabrera was paying as much as $20,000 a month in child support as recently as 2019, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Here's what the judge ordered Cabrera to do in that case, as reported by the Detroit Free Press:
- "Pay Rodriguez $20,000 a month in unallocated child support, which means the mom can spend it as she sees fit."
- "In addition to the $20,000-a-month, pay allocated child support to Rodriguez for specific expenditures, such as private schooling, health care, extracurricular activities and prescriptions. When these expenses occur, the mom will send a bill to Cabrera for reimbursement."
- "Pay off the mortgage of Rodriguez's nearly $1 million house by July 1."
- "Provide the children unblocked, annual passes to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and Orlando Science Center."
- "Maintain a $5 million life insurance policy to benefit both children until the youngest child turns 18."
- "Pay Rodriguez $89,581 in unpaid child support by May 1."
- "Pay Rodriguez's attorney fees of $51,206."
His "secret family" could cost him as much as $5 million. Considering his massive net worth, though, that ain't much.
Miguel Cabrera Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Miggy boasts an estimated net worth of $125 million. Much of that money is used charitably. Cabrera started the Miguel Cabrera Foundation in 2012, which aims to raise funds for various children's charities and programs.
It's safe to say Miggy is a very, very rich man in 2021.
