Alex Rodriguez And 15 MLB Players Who Hung On Too Long

Out of baseball in 2013, Abreu reached the 2,000-hit milestone all the way back during the 2009 season. He played sparingly for the New York Mets in 2014, batting .241 with one home run and 14 RBIs. On Sept. 26, he officially announced his retirement.

Brown's accomplishments were solid well before his game started to decline. He was a candidate for some Cy Young awards, was a six-time All-Star and won a World Series in 1997 with the Florida Marlins. He even reached the 200 wins mark in 2004. In his final season playing for the New York Yankees under an absurd $ 15.7 million contract, Brown went 4-7 with a 6.50 ERA across 13 starts.

Damon played for four different clubs in the final four years of his career, which ended in 2012 with the Cleveland Indians. From 2009 until then, he hit a collective 18 points lower than his career mark of .284. Still serviceable, the two-time World Series champion likely played with money being his largest motivator, as no major milestones were in sight for him after leaving New York following their 2009 championship campaign.

After two of the more memorable seasons by a pitcher to begin his career in MLB history, where Gooden won ROY and then a Cy Young Triple Crown in his sophomore campaign, his form went downhill from there. Dr. K was good through most of the late 80s and early 90s, but he was not a premier talent. Substance abuse helped derail his career. From 1996 to 2000, he had five different stops (NYY, CLE, HOU, TB, NYY), accumulating a 4.91 ERA.

The snub of all snubs when it comes to Cooperstown -- MLB's all-time hits leader played his final season the same year Moyer played his first. Charlie Hustle broke Ty Cobb's career hit mark of 4,189 on Sept. 11, 1989. He finished with 4,256, though his productivity drastically declined towards the end. A career .303 hitter, Rose hit .256 in his final four seasons. Meanwhile Cobb, a career .366 hitter, batted a staggering. 352 in his last four.

This nomination in no way aims to defame Ruth and his illustrious career. It's painful to know that he played his final season being a shell of his former self and did not retire a Yankee. He hit .181 with six home runs and 12 RBI for the Boston Braves in '35. The Bambino would have been wise to pack it in after the year prior on a high note, when he swatted .288 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI for the Bronx Bombers.

Though not officially retired, Ibanez is garnering interest to coach for major league level teams. Those offers could be more enticing than anything he gets as a player. It's likely he will not even receive an offer. Reaching 2,000 hits and winning a World Series was likely his biggest motivator for him to play in 2014. He obtained 2,000 hits, batting only .167 in 90 games. Ibanez narrowly missed a ring after the Royals signed him on June 30.

A probable Hall of Famer even without the twilight years of his career considered, Perry reached the heralded 300 wins mark in 1982, his penultimate season. He decided to play in 1983, going 7-14 with a 4.64 ERA for the Mariners and Royals. Not great numbers, but when you factor in that he posted campaigns of 300-plus IP six times in his career, they're not half bad.

Prior's career in MLB was over almost as early as it began. But you can't blame a guy for holding on in hopes of one last shot at redemption. His pitching arm sustained multiple injuries throughout his big league years, never again pitching in MLB after the 2006 season. Since then, he has dabbled some in the minors and independent baseball leagues. In 2013 for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, Prior posted a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 IP.

The Cold War was still in full swing when Moyer embarked on a career in MLB. A rookie in '86, he played for eight teams over his 25-year career (did not play in 1992 or 2011). He is one of only 29 players to appear in a game in four different decades. In his final five seasons, Moyer's ERA was 4.67 and his WAR a very meager 3.8 (total number, not average).

The 11-time Gold Glove winner played in more games at shortstop than any player in history. Most baseball fans probably couldn't even tell you his final season was in Toronto with the Blue Jays. He was nothing more than a utility player in his final five seasons who hit .252. Now a coach with the Detroit Tigers, it may have been in his best interest to turn his focus towards mentorship for a salary earlier on in his career.

The talent, versatility and hitters stance were unmistakable. Franco spent 1995 and 1998 playing in Japan and 2000 in South Korea. A career .298 hitter, Franco entered the 2007 MLB offseason season as a free agent. He officially retired from pro baseball on May 8, 2008 as a member of the Quintana Roo Tigers in the Mexican League.

Though his "Farewell Tour" was somewhat over the top fanfare at times, Jeter's final hit at Yankee Stadium was a great moment. The Captain reached 3000 hits in 2011 and his 2014 All-Star nod was more for respect and tribute than it was his ability to play like one. In the final two seasons of his career, Jeter hit a paltry .250 and had a combined offensive WAR of -0.5 and defensive WAR of -1.0.

Bonds was a timeless talent, steroids or not. But his career portfolio is littered with asterisks and disdain. Looking much more svelte in his retirement years, the seven-time MVP was still somewhat productive in his final seasons. However, he played under heavy scrutiny trying to beat Hank Aaron's career home run mark. Bonds bested Hammerin' Hank on Aug. 7, 2007 while under investigation for perjury by a federal grand jury.

The grizzled Giambi is still active in MLB. Despite heavy implications of his participation through the steroid era, perhaps the former MVP still plays in hopes of winning a championship. MLB players qualify for an annual pension of 34K after only 43 days of service. He has far outlived that right. With 10 years of service time as Giambi indeed has, the annual pension shoots up to 100K. He hit .133 in 60 ABs last season.