It took Denard Span nearly six years to reach the big leagues after being selected with the 20th overall pick in 2002, but, once he arrived, he hung around for more than a decade. Span played 11 seasons in MLB from 2008-18, and while he has not yet announced his retirement, it sounds like he's ready to hang up his spikes.

"I haven't announced it, officially, but maybe this is it," Span told Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune. "... I know that if the season ever would get started, I still would have the ability to help a team. But 36-year-old outfielders who haven't played in two years ... not happening."

Span, 36, last played for the Rays and Mariners in 2018. He originally broke in with the Twins, the team that drafted him, and spent parts of five seasons with Minnesota. Span later moved on to the Nationals and Giants before landing in Tampa. The Rays traded him to Seattle with Alex Colome in a salary dump trade in May 2018.

In 11 MLB seasons Span authored a .281/.347/.398 batting line with 71 home runs and 185 stolen bases in nearly 1,400 games. His best years came with the Nationals, when he hit .301/.358/.421 in 2014-15. Span was a pesky hitter who took walks, didn't strike out much, and wreaked havoc on the bases. He was also a very good defender earlier in his career.

The Mariners paid Span a $4 million buyout rather than pick up his $12 million club option last season. Despite his experience and value as a veteran lefty hitting platoon outfielder -- that's the sort of depth piece most contending teams would love to have on their bench -- Span did not receive "fair" offers last offseason, so he sat out the season.

"I didn't play last year, after receiving a buyout of my contract ... not because of an absence of contact from teams. The offers that came my way, they didn't seem like fair value for my services," Span said. "I spent this past offseason getting in shape, getting ready to play in 2020, and there were two or three minor-league offers."

Whenever the 2020 season begins, MLB is set to implement a 30-man active roster with a 20-man taxi squad. A team could offer Span a spot on its expanded roster -- depth will be of paramount importance during an abbreviated season -- though it seems unlikely. Clubs will likely go with cheaper in-house options over a veteran who hasn't played since 2018.