Ángel Manuel Pagán (born July 2, 1981) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants. Pagán's original contract in Major League Baseball (MLB) was with the New York Mets, but he was transferred to the Chicago Cubs when they bought his contract. Pagán was traded back to the Mets prior to the 2008 season. In December 2011, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Andrés Torres and Ramón Ramírez. While primarily a center fielder throughout his career, Pagan transitioned to left field in 2016. Early life Ángel Manuel Pagán was born and raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. His mother, Gloria, was a fan of baseball and played in a men's fastpitch softball league. The family lived in a crowded apartment with his brother and sister, and the energetic Pagán did not have space to run. His mother hoped to direct Pagán's high level of energy into a constructive outlet, and encouraged the child to play the sport. He joined a tee ball team at age six, and continued playing throughout childhood. Baseball helped him avoid the dangers of his neighborhood; he recalls, "It was tough to come out of that place a good person. Selling drugs or something. It was a bad neighborhood. A lot of my friends couldn't survive that world. But [my mother] made me strong enough to forget about that path and go to the positive one." He also developed interests in basketball and boxing, "But there was something about baseball", he said. "I fell in love with the sport." Pagán was given the nickname "El Caballo Loco" (Spanish for "Crazy Horse") by his teammates during his early years as player for Las Lomas Potros in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico manage by Willie Ronda. The Mets showed early interest, making him their 4th round pick in the 1999 Amateur draft. After initially failing to come to terms, Pagan played ball at Indian River State College in Florida, eventually coming to terms with the Mets the day before they would have lost signing rights. He spent 5 seasons in the Mets farm system before the Chicago Cubs acquired him. Professional career Chicago Cubs 2006 On January 25, 2006, the Cubs purchased Pagán's contract from the Mets. Pagán made his major league debut with the Cubs on April 3,