Brandon Nimmo Gifts Rangers Teammate Expensive Watch for Jersey Number

There has been plenty of change for new Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo this offseason. He wanted a new number as part of the change.

Nimmo has always wanted to wear No. 24. He grew up a fan of Ken Griffey Jr., who wore the same number in his career. But Nimmo could never do that with the New York Mets, and for a good reason — the number is retired. The legendary Willie Mays played the final two years of his career with the Mets, but the honorific goes back to him breaking in with the New York Giants in 1951. The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958.

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When he was traded to the Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien, Nimmo wanted to wear No. 24, but he had a new problem. It was taken, this time by Michael Helman.

There are traditions in professional sports in these situations. The veteran asks the younger player for the number and is willing to pay up to get it. Earlier this week, Nimmo paid up.

Brandon Nimmo’s Gift to Michael Helman

Nimmo posted the gift exchange with Helman on his social media. Wearing a T-shirt that said, “I just hope Danny Jansen is Having Fun,” he showed off the box than contained the gift. He got Helman, who is wearing No. 23 in spring training, a Rolex watch.

Helman was a bit taken aback at the expense of the gift and eventually accepted, opening the box and showing off the new watch to teammates like Josh Smith. He told Rangers Sports Network’s Laura Stickells later that he would have been happy with dinner. He also said Nimmo had the words “Thanks for 24” engraved on the side.

It’s a great gift, but it’s not the most lavish gift ever given for a jersey number. When Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, reliever Joe Kelly was wearing Ohtani’s No. 17. Kelly agreed to give Ohtani the number and the superstar agreed to give he and his wife, Ashley, something in return, since Ashley took to social media to try and recruit Ohtani, including joking that she and her husband would name their new child “ShoKai.” Ohtani gave her a Porsche Panamera.

Nimmo, the 32-year-old from Cheyenne, Wyo., will likely bat leadoff for the Rangers and has a slash of .262/.364/.438 with 135 home runs and 462 RBI. He has hit at least 20 home runs in each of his last three seasons. He is expected to start in right field.

Helman has played in just 47 MLB games and has slashed .239/.291/.459 with five home runs and 20 RBI. He is fighting for one of the final bench spots on the opening day roster.