David Ortiz plans to retire after 2016 season

David Ortiz has played 19 seasons in the major leagues.Jim Davis/Globe Staff

David Ortiz, the charismatic and often controversial slugger who forever changed the course of Red Sox history by leading the team to three World Series championships, will retire after the 2016 season.

A source familiar with the plans said Ortiz would mark his 40th birthday by making the announcement on Wednesday.

"Big Papi" hinted several times last season he was getting close to retirement after spending nearly half his life in the major leagues. His intent was to leave while still a viable player and not face the awkwardness of being prodded out after staying too long.

"The time is coming," Ortiz told the Globe in March. "Every year, it gets harder."

That sentiment hadn't changed by the final week of the season.

"I don't know how much more time I have," Ortiz said in October, two days before the Red Sox finished with a disappointing 78-84 record. "At my age, getting ready to play gets harder and harder. It's not an easy game to play when you're my age."

The announcement will not come via the Red Sox or from Fenway Park. Ortiz is expected to explain his reasoning on The Players' Tribune website.

Ortiz has played 19 seasons in the majors, the last 13 with the Red Sox. He is under contract for $16 million for 2016 with the team holding an $11 million option for 2017.

The final year would become guaranteed if Ortiz makes 425 plate appearances, but he is prepared to leave that on the table.

Ortiz has hit 503 home runs, 27th all time. His 445 home runs with the Red Sox are third in team history behind only Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.

Since he joined the Red Sox, Ortiz leads the American League in home runs and RBIs. He also holds virtually every career record for designated hitters.

Ortiz is a nine-time All-Star and has finished in the top five of the Most Valuable Player voting five times. Barring injury, he should join Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds as the only players in history with at least 500 home runs and 600 doubles.

Only Ortiz and Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Reggie Jackson have at least 500 home runs and three World Series titles.

All this from a player who was released by the Minnesota Twins after the 2002 season and signed by the Red Sox for $1.2 million.

Ortiz hit .273 last season with 37 home runs and 108 RBIs. He reached 500 home runs by hitting two against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 12.

Among Red Sox fans, Ortiz is most revered for his production in the postseason.

Ortiz has hit .295 in 82 playoff games with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs. In 14 World Series games, he has driven in 14 runs and hit a staggering .455.

Boosted by Ortiz's clutch hitting, the Red Sox won titles in 2004, 2007, and 2013. In a city where athletic success is measured by championships, that put Ortiz in a class that includes Larry Bird, Tom Brady, Bobby Orr, and Bill Russell.

Ortiz helped galvanize the region after the Marathon bombings of 2013, leading a team with low expectations to another championship.

"This is our city," Ortiz said during a ceremony to honor the victims at Fenway Park, punctuating his rallying cry with a profanity.

Ortiz also won baseball's Roberto Clemente Award in recognition for his providing medical support to children in his native Dominican Republic and New England. He is one of baseball's most popular players and for years the face of the Red Sox.

There were missteps along the way. Ortiz squabbled with the Red Sox over his contract at times and often tormented opposing pitchers by pausing to admire his long home runs. A playful personality could quickly sour if Ortiz felt offended.

In 2009, Ortiz was reported to have tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in a survey test done six years earlier. Ortiz admitted only to using over-the-counter supplements and in the years since never tested positive.

In an expletive-filled rant published by The Players' Tribune in March, Ortiz again denied any drug use. But the suspicion that his power was chemically enhanced could damage Ortiz's chances at election to baseball's Hall of Fame.

If Ortiz follows through and retires after 2016, he would come not up for election until 2021.

For the Red Sox, the challenge will be filling a gaping hole in the lineup. Ortiz is arguably the most impactful player in franchise history.

"I don't know when he will retire," teammate Dustin Pedroia said last season. "But there's no replacing a guy like David."

David Ortiz career stats

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	Avg.	OBP	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
1997	Min	15	49	10	16	.327	.353	3	0	1	6	2	19
1998	Min	86	278	47	77	.277	.371	20	0	9	46	39	72
1999	Min	10	20	1	0	.000	.200	0	0	0	0	5	12
2000	Min	130	415	59	117	.282	.364	36	1	10	63	57	81
2001	Min	89	303	46	71	.234	.324	17	1	18	48	40	68
2002	Min	125	412	52	112	.272	.339	32	1	20	75	43	87
2003	Bos	128	448	79	129	.288	.369	39	2	31	101	58	83
2004	Bos	150	582	94	175	.301	.380	47	3	41	139	75	133
2005	Bos	159	601	119	180	.300	.397	40	1	47	148	102	124
2006	Bos	151	558	115	160	.287	.413	29	2	54	137	119	117
2007	Bos	149	549	116	182	.332	.445	52	1	35	117	111	103
2008	Bos	109	416	74	110	.264	.369	30	1	23	89	70	74
2009	Bos	150	541	77	129	.238	.332	35	1	28	99	74	134
2010	Bos	145	518	86	140	.270	.370	36	1	32	102	82	145
2011	Bos	146	525	84	162	.309	.398	40	1	29	96	78	83
2012	Bos	90	324	65	103	.318	.415	26	0	23	60	56	51
2013	Bos	137	518	84	160	.309	.395	38	2	30	103	76	88
2014	Bos	142	518	59	136	.263	.355	27	0	35	104	75	95
2015	Bos	146	528	73	144	.273	.360	37	0	37	108	77	95
Total		2257	8103	1340	2303	.284	.378	584	18	503	1641	1239	1664

SOURCE: Stats LLC