BRADENTON, Fla. — Trevor Williams didn’t want to be a nuisance, but he did want a new jersey number.
Throughout his rookie campaign, Williams wore No. 57, which was assigned to him when he was called up to the majors. He was hoping to switch to No. 34, the number his college roommate and teammate, Cory Hahn, wore at Arizona State. After the Pirates parted ways with pitcher Drew Hutchison in September, No. 34 was available again.
If you’re a player with a popular jersey, changing a number can be a pain for a team. It’s less of an issue if you’re a back-of-the-rotation starter.