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Up through the mid-1970s, the MLB operated without free agency. A player was bound to a team so long as they renewed his contract. The only way to swap squads was to be traded or released.
As a result, many of the top stars remained with their franchises for lengthy periods of time. For some, a full career.
In 1976, that changed. The league moved away from the reserve clause era. Players could test the market.
Since, the rules of free agency have been tweaked here and there. The most recent agreement came ahead of the 2012 season.
As a result, we’re seeing more players play for more teams throughout their MLB tenures.
Which MLB players have played on the most teams?
There are six players that have been on at least a dozen different franchises. Each experienced long careers that extended well beyond a decade.
Here, we’ll list those veterans in order from least to most teams played for.
Ron Villone
Teams: 12
Villone was a left-handed relief pitcher that appeared in more than 700 games between 1995-2009. He suited up for 12 teams over the course of his career.
Villone was drafted in the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut for the Seattle Mariners in 1995 but was traded to the Padres before his rookie season ended. He was then traded again before the end of his second year.
The lefty also played for the Yankees, Brewers, Reds, Astros, Cardinals, Nationals, Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, and Indians. He finished his career at 61-65 with eight saves and a 4.73 ERA.
Matt Stairs
Teams: 12
Stairs was a feared slugger that spent nearly two decades at the MLB level. He played for a dozen different teams throughout the course of his career, which started with the Expos in 1992.
Stairs was traded to Boston after his second season, and a year later, was with the A’s. In Oakland, he began to make a name for himself by piling up four straight seasons with at least 20 HRs.
After Oakland, he’d spend three seasons in the NL Central with three different teams. A few years later, he’d play for three different teams in the same season.
He finished his career where it began, sort of. Stairs’ tenure saw the Expos move from Montreal to Washington DC. He played his final season as a National in 2011.
Mike Morgan
Teams: 12
Morgan was a right-handed pitcher picked in the first round of the 1978 MLB Draft by the A’s. His pro career spanned 22 seasons.
In that time, he also played for the Cubs (2x), Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mariners, Reds, Cardinals, Rangers, Yankees, Orioles, Twins, and Blue Jays.
The majority of his time was spent in Chicago, though he became a division rival after his exit from the franchise. In 1995, he was traded to St. Louis, which released him a year later to allow him to sign with Cincinnati.
Morgan played for three teams in the NL Central and the AL East throughout his career. He’d pitch nearly 600 games, posting a 141-186 overall record with eight saves.
Octavio Dotel
Teams: 13
Dotel is another pitcher that bounced around the MLB quite a bit throughout his 15-year pro career. He made his debut in 1999 with the Mets before quickly being traded to the Astros.
After four seasons in Houston, he was dealt to the A’s. The righty would not stick with a team longer than two years from then on out.
Twice, he played for two different teams in the same season. Once, he suited up for three different franchises across a 162-game span.
Dotel’s last season in the bigs came with Detroit. He ended his career with a 59-50 overall record to go along with nine saves and a 3.78 ERA.
Edwin Jackson
Teams: 14
Jackson is one of just two players to suit up for 14 different MLB teams over the course of a career. The pitcher played for nearly half the league between 2003-2019.
Jackson started his pro tenure in Los Angeles with the Dodgers where he spent three seasons. He was then shipped cross-country to Tampa Bay.
After three years with the Rays, he’d find it difficult to stay in one place. Jackson played for 12 franchises over his final 11 seasons, including two different stints with both the Tigers and Nationals.
Jackson’s final game came in Detroit to conclude a 17-year career. He finished with 107 wins and 133 losses alongside a 4.78 ERA.
Rich Hill
Teams: 14
Hill is maybe the most notable player on the list, spending 21 seasons in the MLB as a left-handed pitcher. He was used as both a starter and relief specialist throughout his time on the diamond, which included many stops.
Hill began his career with the Cubs, the franchise that drafted him in 2002. After four seasons, he headed to the AL East to spend the next five seasons with the Orioles and Red Sox.
From then on, he bounced around. Hill played for 11 new teams over the course of his final 13 seasons. He also returned to Boston on three separate occasions.
Making that movement all the more incredible is the fact that he squeezed out a 3+ year stint with the Dodgers between 2016-2019.
Hill retired after the 2025 season. He finished his career with a 90-76 record and 4.02 ERA.