Every club's longest-tenured player right now

November 29th, 2021

We’re all expecting all sorts of roster turnover this offseason: That is the point of the Hot Stove, after all. Teams shuffle players in and out very quickly. It makes you want to appreciate the guys who stick around.

With that in mind, let’s look at the player who has been with his current organization the longest. Rather than start with their first game on the big league roster, we’ll look at the day they entered the organization, whether it was by trade, the Draft or free agency. (Current free agents don’t count: Sorry, Freddie Freeman.) These guys are the ones who have lasted, the ones with the longest tenure. We take our constancy where we can get it.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: , LHP
Acquired: 15th round, 2012 Draft
Maybe the lefty reliever hasn't been a particular standout during his time with the Blue Jays -- a lifetime 4.23 ERA in 64 career games over four years -- but he has been resilient: He was drafted in the 15th round by the team way back in 2012.

Orioles: , OF
Acquired: 8th round, 2013 Draft
There isn’t much consistency on this Orioles roster, by design, but Mancini has been their rock since being drafted in the eighth round in 2013.

Rays: , CF
Acquired: 31st round, 2010 Draft
The slick-fielding center fielder has been with the Rays for nearly 12 years now, a truly remarkable achievement with a franchise that is known for roster churn.

Red Sox: , C
Acquired: 9th round, 2008 Draft
Vázquez is one of those catchers who feels like a journeyman even though he has never actually “journeyed” anywhere.

Yankees: , C
Acquired: 7th round, 2008 Draft
The two longest-tenured Yankees are both catchers: Gary Sánchez is second behind Higashioka, who was drafted in 2008. Though obviously this changes if current free agent Brett Gardner re-signs with the team.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Guardians: , 3B
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2009
He’s still not yet 30, but he has been with Cleveland since 2009. But will he join so many of his contemporaries by eventually going somewhere else?

Royals: , C
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2006
Perez just hit his 15-year anniversary with the Royals, and with his recent contract extension, it looks clear that he’ll be ending his career with Kansas City.

Tigers: , DH
Acquired: Trade with Marlins, 2007
Cabrera is one of just two players listed here (along with Nick Ahmed) to have been acquired via trade. Next month will mark the 14-year anniversary of the Tigers acquiring Cabrera from the Marlins. Remarkably, two other players involved in that trade, Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, are also still active.

Twins: , RF
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2009
He edges out Jorge Polanco by a matter of days: When the Twins signed Kepler in 2009, he was 16 years old and received an $800,000 bonus, the most given to a European-born player.

White Sox: , SS
Acquired: 1st round, 2013 Draft
He was their first-round pick in 2013, and now he’s at the center of everything they do. That’s how this is supposed to work.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: , CF
Acquired: 1st round, 2009 Draft
Some other players the Angels selected in that 2009 Draft: Patrick Corbin, Randal Grichuk and Garrett Richards.

A’s: , 1B
Acquired: 1st round, 2012 Draft
The question now is how long will the 2012 first-round pick stay in Oakland?

Astros: , 2B
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2007
Altuve is still somehow only 31 years old, which means he has spent nearly half of his life in the Astros organization.

Mariners: , OF
Acquired: 1st round, 2016 Draft
You weren’t imagining all those front-office moves: It is indeed Lewis, drafted in 2016, who is currently the veteran in Seattle.

Rangers: , SS
Acquired: 4th round, 2013 Draft
The Rangers stalwart shortstop isn’t even 27 yet, but he’s been a part of the Rangers -- and been featured at multiple positions -- since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2013.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: , UTIL
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2010
Obviously everyone’s assuming that Freddie Freeman (2nd round, 2007 Draft) will be back in this spot at some point this offseason, but just because everyone’s assuming it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

Marlins: , 3B
Acquired: 3rd round, 2014 Draft
This is the person you would guess it is, but you’ve got to think one of the current young starters is going to end up sticking around for a long time.

Mets: , RHP
Acquired: 9th round, 2010 Draft
Here’s who the Mets drafted ahead of deGrom in 2010: Matt Harvey, Blake Forsythe, Cory Vaughn, Matt den Dekker, Greg Peavey, Jeffrey Walters and Kenny McDowall.

Nationals: , RHP
Acquired: 1st round, 2009 Draft
He has spent a lot of time on the injured list the past couple of years, but the No. 1 overall pick from 2009 -- and 2019 World Series hero -- is still here.

Phillies: , OF
Acquired: 2nd round, 2011 Draft
The only player in the Phillies organization who was there the last time they made the postseason is … Roman Quinn.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: , OF
Acquired: 2nd round, 2012 Draft
With 12 homers and 43 RBIs a full nine years after he was drafted in the second round, Taylor has seemed to find his groove in Milwaukee.

Cardinals: , C
Acquired: 4th round, 2000 Draft
The only player on this list whose run with his team spans five presidential administrations.

Cubs: , C
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2009
Contreras is the only player on this roster who even predates Theo Epstein joining the Cubs organization.

Pirates: , C
Acquired: 7th round, 2012 Draft
The recent Gold Glove Award winner was the seventh-round pick in 2012, also known as the Pirates’ Mark Appel draft.

Reds: , 1B
Acquired: 2nd round, 2002 Draft
Of the 51 players the Reds took in the 2002 draft, only three made the Majors: Votto, Chris Denorfia and … Nick Markakis (a 23rd-round pick who did not sign with Cincinnati and then went 7th overall the following year to Baltimore).

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: , SS
Acquired: Trade with Braves, 2013
Originally drafted by the Braves in 2011 out of the University of Connecticut, Ahmed was part of a big 2013 trade between Arizona and Atlanta that involved Justin Upton and Martin Prado (among many others).

Dodgers: , LHP
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2012
This is my favorite answer on this list. With Clayton Kershaw a free agent, the senior guy is Urías, who signed as an amateur free agent in 2012 and is currently … 25 years old.

Giants: , SS
Acquired: 4th round, 2008 Draft
With Buster Posey having retired, he and fellow Brandon (Belt) are the only two guys left from the 2014 World Series team.

Padres: , RHP
Acquired: International amateur free agent, 2014
Bet this wasn’t the first name you were thinking of. Lamet was a bit older than most international free agents when he signed, so he’s probably a little older than you realize. He’ll turn 30 next season.

Rockies: , OF
Acquired: 2nd round, 2008 Draft
This is an organization that has always placed a premium on continuity, and no one exemplifies that better than Blackmon.