Angel Pagan to sit out 2017 season

Free-agent outfielder Angel Pagan will sit out the remainder of the season instead of signing with a club, he told Yamaira Muniz Perez of El Vocero on Wednesday. Pagan plans to spend time with family.

Pagan, who turns 36 in July, went unsigned all winter despite rumors of interest from multiple clubs including the Blue Jays, Braves and Nationals. He was connected to the Pirates earlier in the week as a potential replacement for outfielder Starling Marte, who was suspended 80 games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Pagan reportedly came close to signing with the Orioles at one point during the offseason, though a failed physical scuttled that deal and left him without a club entering spring training. No deal materialized at his ask price at that point, leaving him unemployed as the season began earlier this month.

Though Pagan did not rule out a return in 2018, players usually find it difficult to get back to playing after a year spent with family. If this is it for Pagan’s career, he departs baseball with a career .280/.330/.408 line with 64 homers in 11 major-league seasons with the Cubs (2006-07), Mets (2008-11) and Giants (2012-16).

In those 11 seasons, Pagan has been a 17-WAR player who won two World Series rings with San Francisco in 2012 and 2014.