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Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho Changes Number to Accommodate Anthony Santander

Daulton Varsho has given the jersey No. 25 to the Toronto Blue Jays' recent free agent signing, Anthony Santander, picking No. 5 as his replacement.
Sam Connon|
May 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (25) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the eighth inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
May 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (25) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the eighth inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

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Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho has changed his jersey number to 5, according to the team's official transaction log.

Varsho had worn No. 25 the past two seasons. He previously wore No. 12 during his three-year stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks, which ended when he got dealt to Toronto in December 2022.

The number change comes in the wake of the Blue Jays signing All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract that could be worth up to $110 million over six years. Santander has only ever worn No. 25 in his big league career, dating back to his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017.

Santander built quite the resume donning No. 25, racking up 155 home runs, 435 RBI and an 11.1 WAR over the last eight seasons. He ranks second only to Aaron Judge in home runs by an American League player since the start of 2022.

Varsho also made a name for himself wearing No. 25, winning his first career Gold Glove in 2024. He has posted an 8.9 WAR and 57 defensive runs saved over the past two seasons alone.

Before Varsho, Marco Estrada and David Purcey had worn No. 25 for the Blue Jays. Carlos Delgado wore it from 1997 through 2004, immediately after Devon White had it from 1991 to 1995.

There was not a Blue Jays player who wore No. 5 in 2024. Santiado Espinal sported it most recently, holding onto the number between 2020 and 2023.

Rance Mulliniks wore No. 5 the longest out of the 14 Toronto players who have claimed it over the years. Mulliniks spent 11 years with the Blue Jays, all while wearing No. 5.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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