Ben Zobrist is taking a sabbatical from baseball.
The former World Series MVP, who spent the last few days visiting his former teammates at the Chicago Cubs' camp in Arizona, confirmed Friday he's focusing on his family and has no plans to play anywhere this season, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
However, the 38-year-old did not rule out a return down the road and said that he is not officially retired.
Zobrist missed a large chunk of 2019 because of personal issues. He left the Cubs in May after filing for divorce and only returned in September, ultimately posting a .671 OPS in just 47 games.
His four-year, $56-million contract with the Cubs expired at season's end.
Zobrist made a name for himself as one of the premier utility players of his generation. Over 14 seasons with the Cubs, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals, he's posted a .266/.357/.426 slash line with 1,566 hits, 167 home runs, 768 RBIs, and 44.4 WAR.
The three-time All-Star has played in over 200 games at four different positions - second base (911), right field (466), shortstop (236), and left field (223). He's appeared at least once at every position on the diamond except catcher.
Zobrist played for eight different playoff teams, winning a pennant with the Rays in 2008 and earning World Series rings with the Royals in 2015 and Cubs in 2016. He was named MVP of the 2016 Fall Classic after hitting .357 in that series, and drove in the go-ahead run for the Cubs in the 10th inning of Game 7.
