Miguel Cabrera has won MVPs, batting titles, a Triple Crown and a World Series. Now he can add another line to his résumé: baseball’s highest-paid player.
According to The Post’s Joel Sherman, Cabrera, who had two years left on his current contract with the Tigers, agreed to a new 10-year deal for $292 million. There is $248 million in new money on top of the $44 million remaining on the final two years of his current deal, making it the largest ever in total value.
That tops Alex Rodriguez, whose current 10-year pact with the Yankees running through 2017 was worth $275 million before A-Rod was suspended for all of the 2014 season, forfeiting approximately $24 million.
Former Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who signed a 10-year deal with the Mariners this offseason will make $240 million, which ranks tied for fourth on the MLB’s highest-paid list.
Cabrera was scheduled to make $22 million in 2014 and 2015 with the new deal adding eight years and approximately $250 million, reports said. That annual average value of approximately $31 million exceeds the record AAV of $30.7 million in Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw’s new contract.
The 30-year old Cabrera won the AL Triple Crown in 2012 with 44 home runs, 139 RBIs and a .330 average. Last season, Cabrera hit 44 home runs with 137 RBIs and a .348 batting average. Cabrera won the AL MVP each of the last two seasons while playing third base. He moves back to first base this season.
He has also stayed healthy, missing 14 games last season, and not missing more than 12 games in any of his other nine big league seasons.
Cabrera is a nine-time All-Star who won the World Series as a rookie with the Marlins in 2003. He has 365 career home runs, 1,260 RBIs and a lifetime .321 batting average, and has hit at least 26 home runs and 100 RBIs in 10 straight seasons.
Cabrera has led the Tigers to three consecutive AL Central titles and two appearances in the World Series, both losses (2006 to the Cardinals in five games, 2012 to the Giants in four games).