Miguel Cabrera was a superstar even before he signed his first MLB contract. At that time, it wasn’t common for an amateur baseball player from Latin America to receive almost 2 million dollars as a signing bonus.

Several organizations were interested in the future Hall of Famer. In fact, on July 2, 1999, the Florida Marlins almost lost the bid after another MLB club offered half a million dollars more. Cabrera was already a star in Venezuela and in the minors. When he faced Roger Clemens 22 years ago in that iconic World Series matchup, the front office was confident he could handle it — even as a 20-year-old rookie.

«He was probably the top prospect in baseball,” recalled former Marlins GM Larry Beinfest to El Emergente. “He was winning the Triple Crown in Double-A when we brought him

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