Daniel Murphy, the prized offseason acquisition of the Colorado Rockies, will reportedly wear number 9 to start the 2019 season. That’s the number vacated by DJ LeMahieu, who signed a deal with the New York Yankees and will not return to the franchise that named him as one of the all-time Top 25 Rockies last season.
Murphy taking over LeMahieu’s number is just the latest in a series of how the soon-to-be-34-year-old is expected to take over for LeMahieu in Colorado. The Rockies expect Murphy to make a lineup that struggled most of last season, including in a Wild Card win over the Chicago Cubs and a National League Division Series sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.