PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) – Eric Hosmer has joined the San Diego Padres, and will wear a jersey number to honor late Kansas City teammate Yordano Ventura.

Hosmer and the Padres completed their $144 million, eight-year contract Monday night. The first baseman joined the team hours after it held its first full-squad workout of spring training.

Hosmer will wear No. 30 in honor of Ventura, a pitcher who died in an auto accident in the Dominican Republic last year. Hosmer asked Padres third base coach Glenn Hoffman for the number.

“It really meant a lot to me, and ‘Hoff’ was more than open to letting me carry on the number,” Hosmer said Tuesday. “And like I told him, I’ll wear it with pride each and every day.”