Heliot Ramos is used to changing numbers, something he has done for the second time in his brief MLB career, to make room for the Giants' latest free agent signing.
With the Giants signing pitcher Jordan Hicks to a four-year, $44M contract, Ramos has shifted from No. 12 to No. 17 to accommodate the hard-throwing righty. Hicks wore No.12 during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2021-2023.
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The last San Francisco player to wear No. 17 was Mitch Haniger, who was traded with pitcher Anthony DeSclafani to the Seattle Mariners for former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray earlier in January.
This is not the first time Ramos has changed numbers while a member of the Giants, as he wore No. 53 when he received his initial MLB call-up in 2022, before switching to No. 12 for the 2023 season.
Ramos has been in the Giants organization since they selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, gradually moving up through the ranks until he made his MLB debut in 2022.
With Haniger gone, Ramos has a chance to fill the gap in the outfield and at the plate, where Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi expects the 24-year-old to provide plenty of power along with fellow up-and-coming outfielder Luis Matos.
San Francisco Giants
Zaidi and the San Francisco front office are expecting that the continued growth of Matos and Ramos, along with the acquisitions of Ray and Hicks, will help the team close the gap in the competitive NL West.