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The most-traveled players
Edwin Jackson's 14 teams, Ish Smith's 13, Mike Sillinger's 12: the players who suited up for the most franchises, and every stop along the way.
By Austin · October 16, 2026
Some players spend a career in one city. These are the other kind. We went through every roster in our data and counted how many different franchises each player appeared for, with relocated and renamed franchises counted once.
| Sport | Most teams | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Edwin Jackson | 14 | 17 |
| Basketball | Ish Smith | 13 | 13 |
| Football | Shayne Graham | 11 | 16 |
| Hockey | Mike Sillinger | 12 | 18 |
| Soccer | Nicola Amoruso | 13 | 16 |
Baseball
Most of the list is pitchers. Arms are always in demand, and a reliever can be traded, released and signed again in a single summer. A contender short on pitching in July calls the veteran who's available. Edwin Jackson set the major-league record in 2019, when he pitched for his 14th team. Octavio Dotel had held it with 13.
| Player | Teams | Seasons | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwin Jackson | 14 | 17 | 2003–2019 |
| 2 | Rich Hill | 14 | 21 | 2005–2025 |
| 3 | Octavio Dotel | 13 | 15 | 1999–2013 |
| 4 | Ron Villone | 12 | 15 | 1995–2009 |
| 5 | Craig Kimbrel | 12 | 17 | 2010–2026 |
| 6 | Matt Stairs | 12 | 19 | 1992–2011 |
| 7 | Mike Morgan | 12 | 22 | 1978–2002 |
| 8 | Jose Urena | 11 | 11 | 2015–2025 |
| 9 | Paul Bako | 11 | 12 | 1998–2009 |
| 10 | Rick White | 11 | 12 | 1994–2007 |
Edwin Jackson’s stops: Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays.
Basketball
A backup point guard is the most portable player in basketball: every team needs one, any system can use one, and teams trade for one every deadline. The rest of the list is the same idea in different positions, veterans on one-year deals. Ish Smith holds the NBA record: 13 franchises in 13 seasons.
| Player | Teams | Seasons | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ish Smith | 13 | 13 | 2010–2022 |
| 2 | Chucky Brown | 12 | 13 | 1989–2001 |
| 3 | Tony Massenburg | 12 | 13 | 1990–2004 |
| 4 | Jim Jackson | 12 | 14 | 1992–2005 |
| 5 | Joe Smith | 12 | 16 | 1995–2010 |
| 6 | Garrett Temple | 12 | 16 | 2009–2025 |
| 7 | Mike James | 11 | 12 | 2001–2013 |
| 8 | Anthony Tolliver | 11 | 13 | 2008–2020 |
| 9 | Kevin Ollie | 11 | 13 | 1997–2009 |
| 10 | D.J. Augustin | 11 | 14 | 2008–2021 |
Ish Smith’s stops: Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets.
Football
Football's list is led by kickers and backup quarterbacks: specialists teams sign when their starter is hurt and release when he's back.
| Player | Teams | Seasons | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shayne Graham | 11 | 16 | 2001–2016 |
| 2 | Josh Johnson | 11 | 19 | 2008–2026 |
| 3 | Josh McCown | 10 | 18 | 2002–2020 |
| 4 | Jamon Meredith | 9 | 8 | 2009–2016 |
| 5 | Nick Vannett | 9 | 11 | 2016–2026 |
| 6 | Jason Babin | 9 | 13 | 2004–2016 |
| 7 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 9 | 17 | 2005–2021 |
| 8 | Dave Rayner | 8 | 6 | 2005–2011 |
| 9 | Crezdon Butler | 8 | 7 | 2010–2016 |
| 10 | J.T. O'Sullivan | 8 | 8 | 2002–2010 |
Shayne Graham’s stops: Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons.
Hockey
Hockey's travelers are reliable two-way forwards and defensemen, exactly the players a contender adds at the trade deadline in March. Mike Sillinger holds the NHL record with 12 teams.
| Player | Teams | Seasons | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Sillinger | 12 | 18 | 1990–2008 |
| 2 | Dominic Moore | 10 | 13 | 2003–2017 |
| 3 | Lee Stempniak | 10 | 14 | 2005–2018 |
| 4 | J.J. Daigneault | 10 | 16 | 1984–2000 |
| 5 | Michel Petit | 10 | 16 | 1982–1997 |
| 6 | Jim Dowd | 10 | 16 | 1991–2007 |
| 7 | Derick Brassard | 10 | 16 | 2007–2022 |
| 8 | Olli Jokinen | 10 | 17 | 1997–2014 |
| 9 | Mathieu Schneider | 10 | 21 | 1987–2009 |
| 10 | Randy Robitaille | 9 | 11 | 1996–2007 |
Mike Sillinger’s stops: Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders.
Soccer
Soccer's list is led by Serie A journeymen. Italian clubs have a long habit of loans and co-ownership deals, so a striker could pass through half the league without ever leaving Italy. Most of the rest are French players who moved between Ligue 1 and the other big leagues.
| Player | Clubs | Seasons | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicola Amoruso | 13 | 16 | 1993–2009 |
| 2 | Marco Borriello | 13 | 16 | 2002–2017 |
| 3 | Giuseppe Colucci | 11 | 13 | 1999–2012 |
| 4 | Loïc Rémy | 11 | 14 | 2006–2019 |
| 5 | Kevin-Prince Boateng | 11 | 17 | 2005–2022 |
| 6 | Bruno Rodriguez | 10 | 11 | 1992–2003 |
| 7 | Benny Carbone | 10 | 12 | 1988–2003 |
| 8 | Gaël Kakuta | 10 | 13 | 2009–2022 |
| 9 | Simone Verdi | 10 | 14 | 2009–2024 |
| 10 | Martín Cáceres | 10 | 15 | 2007–2021 |
Nicola Amoruso’s stops: UC Sampdoria, Calcio Padova, Juventus FC, AC Perugia Calcio, SSC Napoli, Como 1907, Modena FC, ACR Messina, Reggina 1914, Siena FC, Torino FC, Parma Calcio 1913, Atalanta BC.
Why this matters in Teammate Chain
Every move put these players on a new roster, so they’re the best links in Teammate Chain. See the players with the most teammates, or the opposite career in the longest one-club careers.
How we counted
A team counts if the player appeared for it in at least one regular season. A player traded away and later brought back counts that team once. Relocated and renamed franchises count once. Stops are listed in the order he first played for each, under the name the club had when he left it.
About the data
These numbers come from the rosters behind Teammate Chain, not from every league a player ever played in. Two players count as teammates only if both are on the same club’s roster for the same season in our data, so a player who spent part of his career somewhere we don’t cover has fewer teammates here than he really had.
- Baseball: every MLB and major-league season since 1871. Every major-league season is included, back to the National Association, so baseball careers are complete.
- Basketball: every NBA season since 1946-47 (BAA included). The ABA isn't included, so ABA seasons (Julius Erving's, Moses Malone's, Spencer Haywood's first) don't count. Some rosters from the 1960s to the 1980s are incomplete.
- Football: every NFL season since the 1970 merger. Nothing before 1970, so the AFL and the pre-merger NFL are missing, along with the USFL, XFL and other leagues. A career like George Blanda's (1949-1975) only counts from 1970.
- Hockey: every NHL season since the 1967 expansion. Nothing before 1967-68, and no WHA, so Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, for example, only count from 1967.
- Soccer: Europe's top five leagues since 1963-64. Only league matches in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Seasons anywhere else (Portugal, the Netherlands, Turkey, MLS, lower divisions) and cup and international matches aren't included. Teammates count from the club's squad list, even a player who didn't play that season; career lengths count only the seasons he played. A career that starts with a newly promoted club may have begun in a lower division, so those careers are left out of the lists.
Only teams in our data count, so stops in other leagues, the minors or on a practice squad aren’t in a player’s total; in soccer, only the big five leagues count. In football, hockey and soccer, careers that may have begun before our records start are left out.
Careers that are still going count through the latest season in the data, as of October 17, 2026. Players who share a name are kept apart by their league ids and birth dates, and a player listed on a roster for a season he didn’t play (an injured rookie, a draft pick still overseas) isn’t counted for it. Spot a mistake? Let us know.
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