The rosters of your favorite team will shuffle and reorganize faster than we ever realize. That 2016 Cubs team, the one that won the World Series? There is only one player who played on that team on the 2023 roster: Kyle Hendricks. Our teams are constantly shifting and transforming into something different, whether we realize it or not.
Thus, today at The Thirty, we look at the rare constants for each team: The players who have been with their current organizations the longest. It’s not the longest they’ve been in the big leagues -- it’s the longest they’ve been a part of their current franchise without leaving. They have to be on the big league roster right now, as well. They’re the franchise greybeards. And they’re probably a lot younger than you think.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Tim Mayza
Date acquired: June 8, 2013
MLB debut: Aug. 15, 2017
Mayza was a solid left-handed relief specialist last season, though he’s probably destined to be known as the guy who gave up Aaron Judge’s 61st home run.
Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle
Date acquired: June 8, 2015
MLB debut: Aug. 21, 2020
There is no better example of just how young the Orioles are, and how much they’ve turned over their entire organization, than their longest-tenured player recently turned 26 years old.
Rays: Vidal Bruján
Date acquired: Oct. 17, 2014
MLB debut: July 7, 2021
Of course, there is Brujan, who is only 25, though he has an excuse: The Rays signed him out of the Dominican at the age of 16.
Red Sox: Rafael Devers
Date acquired: Aug. 9, 2013
MLB debut: July 25, 2017
Now that Christian Vázquez and Xander Bogaerts are gone, Devers is the last old Red Sox player standing.
Yankees: Kyle Higashioka
Date acquired: June 5, 2008
MLB debut: April 10, 2017
Amazing, right? Higashioka, who has played only 222 games in pinstripes, has been bouncing around the Yankees' organization since they drafted him in the seventh round back in 2008.
AL CENTRAL
Guardians: José Ramírez
Date acquired: Nov. 26, 2009
MLB debut: Sept. 1, 2013
Signed through 2028, Ramírez seems likely to reach a full two decades with this franchise.
Royals: Salvador Perez
Date acquired: Oct. 10, 2006
MLB debut: Aug. 10, 2011
There were some trade rumors this offseason, but it’s difficult, really, to imagine him wearing any other uniform.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera
Date acquired: Dec. 4, 2007
MLB debut: June 20, 2003
He has said this will be his final season, so it’s going to be a glorious year-long goodbye.
Twins: Jorge Polanco
Date acquired: July 6, 2009
MLB debut: June 26, 2014
Polanco was 16 years old when the Twins signed him in 2009 -- in fact, it was the day after his 16th birthday.
White Sox: Tim Anderson
Date acquired: June 6, 2013
MLB debut: June 10, 2016
Injuries derailed Anderson last year, but he remains one of the most exciting players in baseball.
AL WEST
Angels: Mike Trout
Date acquired: June 9, 2009
MLB debut: July 8, 2011
All these years and, all together now, still no postseason victories.
Athletics: Seth Brown
Date acquired: June 10, 2015
MLB debut: Aug. 26, 2019
It is quite the rarity for anyone to be drafted by the A’s and make it into their 30s still with the club.
Astros: Jose Altuve
Date acquired: March 6, 2007
MLB debut: July 20, 2011
They had zero World Series titles before he was drafted, and they now have two. And counting.
Mariners: Matthew Festa
Date acquired: June 10, 2016
MLB debut: July 14, 2018
You know what’s great about the Mariners? You know who is second place on the franchise’s seniority list? It’s Julio Rodríguez, who signed as an amateur out of the Dominican in July 2017.
Rangers: José Leclerc
Date acquired: Dec. 9, 2010
MLB debut: July 6, 2016
The only player left with the Rangers who could, in 2011, say, “Hey, the team that pays me right now is in the World Series.”
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Ozzie Albies
Date acquired: July 2, 2013
MLB debut: Aug. 1, 2017
Ozzie Albies will be 26 throughout the 2023 season, which makes him a greybeard amongst a lot of these Braves.
Marlins: Edward Cabrera
Date acquired: July 2, 2015
MLB debut: Aug. 25, 2021
Cabrera is only entering his age-25 season, but he signed out of the Dominican Republic at age 17, and now that Miguel Rojas is on the Dodgers, the 6-foot-5 right-hander is the longest-tenured Marlin.
Mets: Brandon Nimmo
Date acquired: June 6, 2011
MLB debut: June 26, 2016
By re-signing their outfielder, the Mets assured that Nimmo is going to continue to climb their all-time leaderboard at a rapid rate.
Nationals: Carter Kieboom
Date acquired: June 9, 2016
MLB debut: April 26, 2019
Their first-round pick from 2016 hasn’t quite panned out how they might have hoped, but he is still there.
Phillies: Seranthony Domínguez
Date acquired: April 1, 2012
MLB debut: May 7, 2018
Domínguez has battled elbow issues during his career, and even underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020, but he's proven to be a dominant reliever when healthy.
NL CENTRAL
Brewers: Tyrone Taylor
Date acquired: June 10, 2012
MLB debut: Sept. 7, 2019
The Brewers had been waiting a long time for their 2012 second-round pick to make an impact, but last year, he finally did.
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright
Date acquired: Dec. 13, 2003
MLB debut: Sept. 11, 2005
This is Wainwright’s final year, the definitive end of an era. The second-longest tenured Cardinal? Jack Flaherty, the club's first-round pick in 2014.
Cubs: Kyle Hendricks
Date acquired: July 31, 2012
MLB debut: July 10, 2014
The only Cub left who has a World Series ring with the team. (Though new teammate Cody Bellinger has one with the Dodgers.)
Pirates: Mitch Keller
Date acquired: June 5, 2014
MLB debut: May 27, 2019
He may never become what the Pirates had envisioned, but there’s something to be said for still going out there and trying.
Reds: Joey Votto
Date acquired: June 4, 2002
MLB debut: Sept. 4, 2007
There’s a club option after this year, so this could be it for Votto in Cincinnati. But it feels like we’ve said that before.
NL WEST
D-backs: Nick Ahmed
Date acquired: Jan. 24, 2013
MLB debut: June 29, 2014
Ahmed was part of the Justin Upton trade with the Braves so long ago. (OK, 2013.)
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw
Date acquired: June 6, 2006
MLB debut: May 25, 2008
Kershaw’s never going anywhere -- we all understand that by now, right?
Giants: Brandon Crawford
Date acquired: June 5, 2008
MLB debut: May 27, 2011
The only guy left who signed with a San Francisco Giants team that had never won a World Series.
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Date acquired: June 4, 2016
MLB debut: March 28, 2019
The Padres have turned over everything over the last decade, to the point that Tatis -- who had, uh, quite a year last year -- is their longest-serving Padre. And it sure looks like it might stay that way for another decade.
Rockies: Charlie Blackmon
Date acquired: June 5, 2008
MLB debut: June 7, 2011
He was drafted one year before Nolan Arenado, but Blackmon is five years older.
