Cabrera Supports the AJ Hinch Hiring: "Doesn't care" about 2017

The Detroit Tigers made the decision to hire former Houston Astros manager, A.J Hinch, this offseason after losing Ron Gardenhire to medical issues in 2020. However, this move was very controversial due to the fact that A.J Hinch is fresh off of a year suspension, and was the manager of the Houston Astros during their sign stealing scandal. It was unclear how receptive the players would be to Hinch given his shaky reputation around the league, yet Miguel Cabrera had a few words to say about the matter on Tuesday afternoon.

When asked about the 2017 Astros’ sign stealing scandal, Miguel Cabrera simply responded, “I don’t care. It didn’t matter to me then, and it doesn’t matter to me now. In the end, it’s baseball.” The title may have lacked meaning to Cabrera due to the fact that the Tigers missed the playoffs in the 2017 season… and every year ever since, however, he believes that it takes exceptional talent to win a World Series regardless of sign stealing. Cabrera went on to advocate for unconditional organizational support of Hinch moving forward. “He’s a really smart guy, a compassionate guy.”

Although everyone may not agree with Cabrera’s stance on the Astros’ sign stealing scandal, he holds an important perspective that will move the Detroit Tigers forward. Everyone must support AJ Hinch unquestionably for the Tigers to take the next step towards becoming a competitive club. He is an experienced manager; one that took a rebuilding Astros franchise to the World Series. He has been described as the kind of manager that brings a team together, and one that provides a smooth transition for younger players into the major leagues.

Besides talent, the Tigers struggle with team chemistry and have been for several years. For example, in 2018, Miguel Cabrera admitted that he didn’t even know the names of most of his teammates. A younger manager, and a younger team can definitely help to resolve this issue. Despite cheating, the amount of energy and chemistry in the Astros dugout was always recognizable and potentially a large part of their success. AJ Hinch could very well be the guy that brings this sort of culture back to the Detroit Tigers.