Eric Hosmer will be wearing a different jersey number in the upcoming season, and his new one includes a tribute.
Hosmer has worn No. 35 throughout his MLB career with the Kansas City Royals. But that jersey is retired by his new team, the San Diego Padres, in honor of former Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones.
According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, Hosmer will wear jersey No. 30 with the Padres as a tribute to his late teammate, Yordano Ventura.
I'm told Eric Hosmer will wear No. 30 to honor his late teammate Yordano Ventura.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) February 20, 2018
That’s pretty cool. Ventura died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic last January. The two players were teammates on the 2014 Royals that reached the World Series and the 2015 team that won it all.
Hosmer’s contract with the Padres was officially announced on Monday night. It’s an 8-year, $144 million deal that includes an opt-out after five years.
Hosmer, 28, is a career .282 hitter and has smacked 25 homers each of the last two seasons. He’s a four-time Gold Glove winner.
