Melky Cabrera, a long-time major-league outfielder, has announced his retirement.
Cabrera, 37, played in the major leagues for 15 years, mostly with the Yankees, White Sox, Royals, and Blue Jays. Cabrera hit.285/.334/.417 (103 OPS+) with 1,962 hits, 144 home runs, 383 doubles, 101 stolen bases, and a WAR of 20.6 in 1,887 games. Cabrera made his first and only All-Star appearance with the Giants in 2012. He finished 2 for 3 with a home run in the game, earning him All-Star Game MVP honours. Cabrera was suspended 50 games for a positive testosterone test in August of that year.
Cabrera was signed by the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2001 and spent his first five MLB seasons with the team, including a.391 average with two doubles in the American League Championship Series against the Angels in 2009, which helped the Yanks reach — and then win — the World Series.
Cabrera appeared in 25 postseason games in his career, winning a World Series ring with the New York Yankees in 2009. Cabrera last played in the majors in 2019 with the Pirates, and he spent the previous two offseasons in the Dominican Winter League.
Cabrera was dealt to the Braves by the Yankees in December 2009. In 2010, he appeared in 147 games with the Braves and had a.671 OPS. That offseason, he was released and signed with the Royals. Cabrera had a breakout season in 2011, slashing.305/.339/.470 with 18 home runs and 20 stolen bases for Kansas City.
In 2020, he signed a minor-league contract with the New York Mets, although he never played for the big club.
Cabrera was traded by the Royals to the Giants in 2012, and he was named All-Star Game MVP after going 2-for-3 with a home run in the National League’s 8-0 triumph at Kauffman Stadium. Cabrera was suspended for 50 games later that season for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He hit.346/.390/.516 in 113 games that year, with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases.