When Vernon Wells’ seven-year, $126 million contract comes to an end in two years, so will his baseball career. The Angels outfielder, owed $42 million over the next two seasons, plans to retire at the end of 2014, even though he’ll be only 35.

He’s got two good reasons: One is 10, the other is 7, and both are boys.

“My kids,” Wells said Monday morning. “It’ll be time to invest more in their lives. I’ve gone through this for long enough. My thoughts right now as a family is to be done after ...