Falling Stars: Unforgettable Players, Forgettable Teams. National League Edition

With the last few high-profile free agents continuing to sign, we are getting a pretty good idea of what clubs will like heading into Spring training in a couple of weeks. Big names like Alex Bregman, Dylan Cease, Kyle Tucker, and Edwin Diaz will look to cement their superstar status with a whole new ballclub. It's becoming increasingly rare to see a star player spend their entire career with one team. Since the birth of modern free agency, it's common to see a player cement themselves as a fan favorite for multiple teams throughout their career. In today’s game, franchise legends change teams more than they ever did before. In recent years, we’ve seen Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani install themselves in Dodgers lore. This is after each of them obtained superstar status with their previous teams. 

As frequent as it is to see a player win over multiple fanbases, it’s also common to see a star play on a team for a short period of time. This could be due to a midseason trade, or they might try to clutch onto a random team at the end of their career to prove they still got it. What I am going to cover here are star players who had a stint on a team that you might have forgotten about. To make this list, a player must have built a notable reputation with at least one club, only to spend time somewhere else in a mediocre fashion. One full season or less with the team is required as well (2020 or later), meaning we won’t be counting someone like Jose Abreu, who was downright awful in Houston after winning an MVP, amongst other accolades, with the White Sox. Also, Rich Hill will not be appearing here, as his resume deserves its own article. Now that the rules are set, let's reminisce.

To read our American League list, click here.

National League East

Atlanta Braves: SP Cole Hamels

The controversial, seven-time All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano played the final nine games of his career with the Braves in 2022, but the former Phillies great takes the spot here with his 3 1/3 Braves innings in 2020. The 36-year-old was coming off a year where he pitched to a respectable 3.81 ERA over 27 starts with the Cubs, and seemingly had more in the tank. Hamels was meant to be the veteran presence in a rotation that featured emerging ace Max Fried, as well as top prospects Ian Anderson, Kyle Wright, and Touki Toussaint. Hamel's lone appearance came on August 5th, 2020, against the Orioles, where he took the loss. He missed the rest of the season with shoulder issues and caught on with the Padres on a minor league contract in 2021. He was released before the season and retired shortly after.

Honorable Mention: Cano, OF/DH Joc Pederson (2021)

Miami Marlins: SS Tim Anderson

TA represents one of the quickest falls from stardom in recent memory. In his eight years with the White Sox, he made two All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger, and led baseball with a .335 batting average in 2019. Off the field, he emerged as a fan favorite and one of the leaders of a White Sox team that featured some of the game’s most exciting prospects. The White Sox’s peak lasted all of two seasons before falling back into mediocrity in 2022 and 2023, and Anderson’s last season with the White Sox was his worst professional year by far. He slashed .245/.286/.296 with a WAR of -1.8. The White Sox declined his 2024 option, making him a free agent and an intriguing buy-low option. The Marlins signed him to a major league contract worth $5 million in the middle of spring training. He started on Opening Day but managed to hit only .214 in 65 games before being DFA’d. He didn’t sign with another team for the remainder of 2024, and briefly played for the Angels last season before being cut. The 32-year-old is still looking for an opportunity to play, but it's now been almost four years since he played well, and he will likely have few options, if any, moving forward. 

Honorable Mention: 2B Joe Panik (2021), 1B Yuli Gurriel (2023), SP Johnny Cueto (2023)

New York Mets: 2B Brian Dozier (2020)

The 2020 Mets also featured former Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, but he was the number two in the rotation behind Jacob deGrom. He made 12 starts over the 60-game season and struggled with a 5.64 ERA in what would be his final season. The 2020 Mets were also the final team for power-hitting second baseman Brian Dozier, who played in seven games before he was DFA’d. He went 2-15 with a walk, five strikeouts, and zero homers. He was only 33 in his final season, and despite poor results over his minuscule sample in Queens, he hit 20 home runs in 2019 with Washington. Although he might have had a bit more juice, Dozier was clearly satisfied with his nine-year career enough to retire in his early 30s. He had 6 straight seasons of 20+ home runs, including 42 in 2016, which was the first time an AL second baseman topped 40. 

Honorable Mention: Porcello, SP Michael Wacha (2020), SP Justin Verlander (2023), OF Cedric Mullins (2025)

Philadelphia Phillies: RP Neftali Feliz (2021)

Yes, Neftali Feliz, one of the best relievers in baseball from the early 2010s, made two appearances with the Phillies in 2021. He pitched a total of one inning and gave up four earned runs. This was his first action in the big leagues since 2017 with the Royals. He spent some time in the minor leagues with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, but never made the major league roster. After his two appearances with the Phillies, he ended up throwing another three more innings with the Dodgers that season before being DFA’d again. He never regained the form he had in his early career with the Rangers, but there’s a lot of respect owed to a player who grinded his way back to the big leagues after a 4-year hiatus. He will mostly be remembered for being one strike away from ending the 2011 World Series, but the Rangers' 2023 Championship makes that sting a bit less. He is currently a free agent and pitched in the Mexican League as recently as last season. 

Honorable Mention: UTL Josh Harrison (2023), UTL Whit Merrifield (2024), SP Walker Buehler (2025)

Washington Nationals: OF/DH Kyle Schwarber (2021)

It seems like Schwarber has been Philly royalty for ages now. In his first 4 years since teaming up with the still-elite Bryce Harper, Schwarber has made two All-Star teams, led the NL in home runs twice, and just secured a new five-year deal that could allow him to retire a Phillie. Schwarber’s six mediocre years in Chicago seem like a distant memory, but that’s probably for the best, as he found another gear almost immediately after being non-tendered. His one-year contract with the Nationals before 2021 turned into immediate sellers’ remorse for the Cubs. He hit 25 home runs, with 16 of them coming in an 18-game span in June, and was named an All-Star before being traded to Boston. 

Honorable Mention: DH Nelson Cruz (2022), 2B Dee Gordon (2022), 1B Joey Gallo (2024)

National League Central

Chicago Cubs: 1B Trey Mancini & Eric Hosmer (2023)

It makes too much sense just to loop these two together. For the 2023 season, the Cubs were trying to pull themselves out of their rebuild as fast as possible. They signed Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Jameson Taillon to supplement a roster that included some high-profile prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton, as well as veterans Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, and Marcus Stroman. The Cubs just needed to sign a bridge player to fill the gap at first base until Matt Mervis was ready. Why get only one veteran first baseman coming off a tough season when you could get two? Yes, first base on the northside had been a revolving door of no-names since Anthony Rizzo departed at the 2021 deadline, so Mancini and Hosmer at least carried some name value to get fans excited. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, neither worked. Hosmer played in 31 games, hitting .234 with two home runs, and was DFA’d in May. He retired after the season, with the Cubs being his last taste of major league action. Mancini survived until August 1st, when he was DFA’d after hitting .234 with four home runs over 79 games. He is still trying to catch on with a team, and recently signed a minor league deal with the Angels, but has not played in a game since his release from the Cubs. 

Honorable Mention: 2B Jason Kipnis (2020), OF/DH Joc Pederson (2021), SS Andrelton Simmons (2022), 1B Carlos Santana (2025)

Cincinnati Reds: INF Asdrubal Cabrera (2021)

The two-time All-Star became more of a journeyman throughout the twilight of his career, but no stay has been as brief as his 20 games played with the Reds in the last month of 2021, after he was claimed off waivers from Arizona. In 31 plate appearances, Cabrera collected just two hits. At this point, it had been nearly two seasons since Cabrera hit above .260 as Father Time caught up to the 35-year-old. The Reds’ “attempt” at a postseason push fell short as they finished 83-79, good for third in the division, and seven games out of the Wild Card game. The playoff format expanded the following season, one year too late for the Reds. 

Honorable Mention: RP Pedro Strop (2020), RP Sean Doolittle (2021) 

Milwaukee Brewers: 3B Josh Donaldson (2023)

The Brewers picked up the 2015 AL MVP after he was released from his nearly two-year stint in pinstripes that seemed to be defined by controversy, injuries, and the occasional home run. He did hit 10 home runs in 120 plate appearances with the Yankees before suffering a right calf strain in July, showing that his power hasn’t deteriorated yet. The problem is that the occasional bomb was all he could count on, as he only had five other hits outside of the 10 longballs. Still, the first-place Brewers found a spot for him in mid-September. They needed a right-handed hitting power option at third alongside the contact-oriented Andruw Monasterio. The Brewers won the division but were quickly dismissed by the eventual NL Champion Diamondbacks. Donaldson retired the following March, making the Brewers the final stop in his 46.8 WAR career. 

Honorable Mention: SP Dallas Keuchel (2024)

Pittsburgh Pirates: 1B/3B Todd Frazier (2021)

One of the prolific sluggers of the mid 2010s, the Toddfather is no stranger to mashing in the NL Central. Frazier clubbed 108 home runs for the Reds from 2011 to 2015 and was part of an extremely underrated quartet of Reds hitters along with Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce. By the time he got to the Pirates for his final 13 games in 2021, he was an aging first baseman struggling to hit for much power. He played 45 games in the COVID-19 season the year prior and hit only four home runs. He never homered in his 40 plate appearances in Pittsburgh; he had only three hits, including a double. He played for the US Olympic team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where the US finished second behind Japan. Frazier officially retired in April of 2022 at age 35. 

Honorable Mention: SP Jose Quintana (2022)

St. Louis Cardinals: SP Jon Lester & J.A. Happ (2021)

The 2021 Cardinals finished with 90 wins and earned a trip to the Wild Card game. They had Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, and Korean lefty Kwang Hyun Kim holding down the rotation, with Miles Mikolas set to return from surgery late in the year after missing 2021. Still, the old phrase about never having enough pitching certainly applies, so they went and added two veteran workhorses at the trade deadline. Happ was having a much worse season at the time, with a 6.77 ERA in 19 starts with the Twins before the trade, but fared a bit better with a 4.00 ERA over 11 starts in St.Louis. Lester had an ERA north of five in his 16 starts with Washington before lowering it closer to four after the trade. Happ pitched for eight different teams in his 15-year career, making his random stint as a Cardinal seem believable. Lester, on the other hand, made such an impact in Boston and Chicago that it almost seems like a crime that he spent his last season bouncing between the Nationals and Cardinals. 

Honorable Mention: SS Brandon Crawford (2024), SP Jose Quintana (2022)

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Starling Marte

Before the 2020 season was delayed, the Diamondbacks pulled off a trade with the Pirates to acquire their veteran outfielder after spending his first eight seasons in Pittsburgh. At the time, this made sense for Arizona, as they had a solid core in Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Eduardo Escobar, and David Peralta; they had also just finished second in the division in 2019 and were looking for that piece to push them to the playoffs. Marte did his part, as he hit .311 in his 33 games in the desert, but the team as a whole flopped. They finished dead last in the division and flipped Marte to the Marlins at the deadline, turning out to be the year’s biggest sellers as they also moved Robbie Ray and Andrew Chafin. The 60-game season kicked off on July 23rd, and the deadline was August 31st, giving DBacks fans only a month to root for Marte without ever seeing him play a game in person. 

Honorable Mention: INF Asdrubal Cabrera (2021), SP Dallas Keuchel (2022), 3B Evan Longoria (2023)

Colorado Rockies: OF Matt Kemp (2020)

Here we have yet another player whom fans didn’t get to see play. The last time he played in front of a home crowd was for the Reds in 2019, apparently. While he played only 20 games in 2019, he rebounded to play 43 in his final season at age 35. He slashed .239/.326/.419 with six home runs in 132 plate appearances, almost exclusively in the DH spot. Kemp didn’t announce his retirement until late in the 2024 season, possibly waiting to see if he could catch on to a roster somewhere. Finishing his career with 287 home runs, he could have had a shot at 300 if the 2020 season hadn't been cut short by 102 games. 

Honorable Mention: RP AJ Ramos (2020)

Los Angeles Dodgers: DH Albert Pujols (2021)

Let's face it: Albert probably never should have left St. Louis. The nine and a half seasons with the Angels never lived up to the expectations, which is not all that surprising because he was one of the greatest players of all time over his first 11 seasons in the majors. Injuries and natural age regression turned Albert into merely a good hitter instead of a perennial MVP candidate. The Angels shockingly DFA’d him in the summer of 2021 in what was seen by many as a sign of disrespect toward one of the game’s greats. Then came the Dodgers, who scooped him up and sprinkled him with a little of that L.A. magic; Pujols hit .254 with 12 home runs and a .759 OPS in 85 games. He became one of the four former MVPs on the Dodgers roster, joining Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, and Cody Bellinger. Although it was a little bit weird to see him not wearing a red uniform for the first time. 

Honorable Mention: CP Craig Kimbrel (2022), SP Noah Syndergaard (2023), OF Kevin Kiermaier (2025)

San Diego Padres: SP Jake Arrieta (2021)

The Padres have been on a recent trend of bringing in aging sluggers in the twilight of their careers. Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Yuli Gurriel, and Jason Heyward have all gotten in a handful of forgettable games with the Friars over the last few seasons. This spot goes to the 2015 NL Cy Young winner for his four starts with San Diego late in 2021, after the Cubs released him in August. By this point, it was apparent that Arrieta was struggling with injuries and stamina. He was sent to the IL on three different occasions, straining his right groin and both hamstrings. He also struggled to pitch past the fifth inning throughout the entirety of the season, which he didn’t do once with the Padres. Overall, he recorded a 10.95 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs in 12 1/3rd innings. He announced his retirement on the Pardon My Take podcast in April of 2022. 

Honorable Mention: Cano (2022), Cruz (2023), Heyward (2025), Gurriel (2025)

San Francisco Giants: SP Scott Kazmir (2021)

Before Shane McClanahan, Chris Archer, David Price, and James Shields, Scott Kazmir was anchoring the Rays' rotation in the mid 2000s. After making his debut at 20 years old in 2004, he settled into the top of the Rays rotation for the next half-decade. He made two All-Star teams, led the AL in strikeouts with 239, and to this day, is the only Ray to ever lead the league in strikeouts. In 2009, he was traded to the Angels, where he spent two and a half seasons, and then bounced around a bit after that. Due to a variety of injuries, Kazmir struggled with inconsistency since leaving the Rays. He made his third All-Star team with Oakland and spent some time in Houston before signing a three-year deal with the Dodgers before the 2016 season. He made 26 starts in his first year in Dodger blue, posting an ERA of 4.56. This would be the only time he appeared with the team, as injuries once again wiped out his 2017 season. He was traded to the Braves for the final year of his guaranteed contract, but never cracked the major league roster due to a velocity in the low 80s, stemming from more arm trouble. Four years after his last MLB appearance, he finally got one more crack with the 2021 Giants. He found his way into five games, making four starts, finishing with a 6.35 ERA in 11 1/3rd innings. Although his time with the Giants was brief, Kazmir should be commended for clawing his way back to a big league roster at 37 years old. 

Honorable Mention: 1B Justin Smoak (2020)