There are a large number of baseball players who have spent years, or even an entire decade, in the major leagues without ever reaching the playoffs or being able to win a championship.
Some get lucky with a trade deadline move or waiver claim that places them directly in the path of a ring. Cody Ross was one of the lucky ones this past season, collecting his World Series ring with the Giants after playing in San Francisco for only a few short months.
Other players are not so lucky. Mike Sweeney spent 16 years in the majors, 13 of those on a very bad Royals team. He got a quick taste of the playoffs with the Phillies in 2010 but did not get past the NLCS.
Currently a free agent, Sweeney will likely end his outstanding career without ever having played in a World Series.
Sweeney may be a cautionary tale for other veteran players who are stuck on bad teams. The following is a list of players who are likely to, or probably should, request a trade to a contender before time catches up with them.