Cabrera lands big Detroit deal

Cabrera has a .313 career batting average

Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera has agreed an eight-year $152m contract with Detroit - the fourth-biggest deal in Major League Baseball history.

The Venezuelan trails only New York Yankees duo Alex Rodriguez ($275m) and Derek Jeter ($189m) and Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez ($160m).

Cabrera was acquired in a trade with the Florida Marlins that also brought pitcher Dontrelle Willis to Detroit.

He told MLB.com. "I feel good here. I feel this is my home."

Cabrera brings another booming bat to an explosive offence that is expected to rank among the best in the major leagues this season.

The 24-year-old hit .320 last season with career highs of 34 home runs and 119 RBI.

Rich Harden pitched Oakland to a 5-1 win over Boston on Wednesday to split the two-game MLB season-opening series in Japan.

Harden kept the World Series champion from sweeping the first MLB games in Japan since 2004, backed by Emil Brown's three-run homer off of Boston starting pitcher Jon Lester.

The Oakland right-hander fired nine strikeouts in six innings and gave up only three hits, while ex-Sox star Alan Embree pitched the ninth inning for the A's.

Boston's Ramirez continued his strong start to the new season with a solo home run off Harden in the loss. The Red Sox won the first game 6-5.