Chicago Cubs: A nostalgic look back into the ghosts of Wrigley’s past

Chicago Cubs: Angel Pagan, OF, 2006-07

One of the last few times Cubs fans saw Angel Pagan, he was looking directly up into the basket above which held Javier Baez‘ solo home run in Game 1 of the 2016 National League Division Series. However, many people forget that Pagan was once a Cub himself.

The New York Mets originally drafted Pagan before the Cubs eventually purchased his contract. At just 24 years old, Pagan made his official big league debut in 2006, appearing in 73 games. He was unfortunately underwhelming, slashing just .247/.306/.394 with a porous .306 wOBA and 75 wRC+.

The following year did not go much better for Pagan. While he slashed .264/.306/.439, he saw a minimal increase in wOBA to .321 as well as an 85 wRC+, still far below league average. Shortly after that, the Cubs shipped Pagan to the New York Mets in exchange for an outfielder named Corey Coles and a pitcher named Ryan Meyers.

Pagan never worked out for the Cubs and the team never gave him a legitimate chance to secure a spot on the roster. Pagan finished with a nice career, most of which he spent in San Francisco. He ended up being a .280 hitter with a career .322 wOBA and 102 wRC+. His best season came in 2010 as a member of the Mets, where he posted a 5.0 WAR.