Detroit Tigers react to Miguel Cabrera reporting for the final Spring Training of his career: "Best shape of his life", "Please don’t leave us" 

Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera reported for what will be the final Spring Training on Thursday of what will be a 21-year big-league career. Cabrera has been a member of the Tigers for three quarters of his time in MLB, coming to Detroit in a trade with the Miami (then, Florida) Marlins on Dec. 4, 2007.

In that time, Cabrera has won two American League Most Valuable Player awards and won the 2012 Triple Crown. Now on the eve of 40 years old, he is relegated mostly to designated hitter and pinch-hitting duties. However, in his prime, he was one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball.

Miguel Cabrera announced this past offseason that 2023 would be his final go-around in the majors. The consistent thunder is gone from his bat — he's hit 45 total home runs since 2018, after twice hitting 44 in a single season — but he remains a reason for fans to keep coming to Detroit Tigers games with the team having had just one winning season since 2014.

More than a few fans got a bit dusty at seeing their beloved "Miggy" reporting to Spring Training for the last time.

Miguel Cabrera went to seven consecutive All-Star Games as a member of the Detroit Tigers, playing mostly first base. To date, he has hit .306 with 369 home runs and 1,324 RBIs in 15 years with the club. He became a member of the 500 Home Run Club near the end of the 2021 season and was named the team's lone All-Star representative in 2022.

Many fans have noticed that Cabrera — who has not been slim and trim since his early days with the Marlins — appears to be showing up to camp in better shape than in recent seasons. Perhaps he is preparing to go out with a bang?

Sadly, Miguel Cabrera is not likely to be ending his big-league career the way he started it. The Marlins won the 2003 World Series versus the New York Yankees in Cabrera's rookie season. The Tigers will be lucky to avoid another trip to the American League Central basement in his final campaign.

Miguel Cabrera trade made the Detroit Tigers look like thieves

Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers steals a batting glove from the pocket of Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the Miami Marlins

Miguel Cabrera joined the Detroit Tigers in what turned out to be one of the most lopsided "blockbuster" trades in MLB history. Detroit gave the Marlins six rookie prospects, including some of what were considered the cream of the Tigers crop, for Cabrera and starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

The two marquee prospects that the Marlins received — Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller — went on to have serviceable major league careers, though both were gone from Miami after 2010.

Willis never regained the spark that made him a phenomenon in 2005, when he won 22 games with seven complete games and five shutouts. He departed Detroit for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010.

All that was left was, and is, future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera. At least for one last season.