Hall of Fame second baseman Jeff Kent will have his No. 21 retired by the San Francisco Giants this summer, according to a release from the team on Thursday. The team will hold a ceremony before their Aug. 29 game against the Diamondbacks.

Kent played for six teams over his 17-year career, spending six seasons with the Giants. They were, unequivocally, the best six seasons of his career. Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 (136 OPS+) with 247 2B, 175 HR, and 689 RBI while going to three All-Star Games, winning three Silver Slugger Awards, and a NL MVP (while receiving votes in three other seasons). 31.6 of his 55.4 bWAR came with San Francisco.

The Hall of Fame ultimately makes the final decision on which team appears on a player’s plaque, but Kent has expressed a preference to go in as a Giant, per MLB.com’s Maria Guardado.

Kent joins Christy Mathewson (no number), John McGraw (no number), Bill Terry (No. 3), Mel Ott (No. 4), Carl Hubbell (No. 11), Monte Irvin (No. 20), Will Clark (No. 22), Willie Mays (No. 24), Barry Bonds (No. 25), Juan Marichal (No. 27), Orlando Cepeda (No. 30), Gaylord Perry (No. 36), and Willie McCovey (No. 44) as the 14th player (not counting Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, retired by all teams) to receive a number retirement ceremony from the club.

About a year ago, I took a swing at picking which player each organization will hold a number retirement ceremony for next. I didn’t have Kent as my pick, but we also didn’t know he’d be under consideration for the Hall of Fame by the Eras Committee.

An idea got stuck in my head sometime last week, so I ran with it. It ended up much longer than I anticipated (or planned, honestly). Well over 6,000 words (part of why I split it into three separate posts).

The baseball players who spend their careers internationally and finally get a chance to come to MLB receive most of the focus and attention, for obvious reasons. The players who head the other way, taking advantage of opportunities to play overseas (whether for financial reasons or otherwise) have always fascinated me, as well. I took a look at all the players who have signed 2026 contracts to play in the NPB, KBO, and CPBL. I will update these throughout the season as needed.

Part 1: NPB foreign player tracker

Part 2: KBO foreign player tracker

Part 3: CPBL foreign player tracker

Tommy Edman's decision to join the Korean squad for the 2023 World Baseball Classic proved to be significant — even if the results weren’t ideal; Edman was just 2-for-11 in three games as Korea went 2-2 in pool play and failed to advance. Edman will not be joining the team for the upcoming tournament as he recovers from October ankle surgery.

Right-hander Riley O’Brien, however, will be joining the team. In doing so, he becomes the second naturalized player to play for the country. O’Brien’s mother is Korean.

O’Brien, who’ll be 31 in early February, has spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals and had a breakout year in 2025, pitching to a 2.06 ERA (200 ERA+) and 1.146 WHIP over 48.0 IP (though his 11.1 BB% was well above league-average).

Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones has also reportedly been invited to join the team, but his participation has not yet been confirmed. The 28-year-old Jones hit .287/.387/.550 in 150 PA with Detroit last season.

Since we’re on the subject of the Korean WBC roster, the team appears to have lost two of its potential infielders to injury in the last week.

Sung Mun Song strained his oblique during a recent batting practice session. He’s expected to be sidelined four to six weeks, which could delay the start of his first spring training with the San Diego Padres. Song’s participation in the WBC had not yet been confirmed.

Song has seen time across the infield during his eight-year career in the KBO, hitting .283/.347/.431. The Padres signed him to a four-year, $20 million contract last month.

Meanwhile, the Braves announced on Sunday that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim would be out 4-5 months after tearing a tendon in his middle finger. Kim reportedly slipped on some ice in Korea. He underwent surgery in Atlanta late last week.

Atlanta had just re-signed Kim last month to a one-year, $20 million contract (their biggest addition this offseason aside from adding Robert Suarez to the bullpen). Kim hit .253/.316/.368 (93 OPS+) in 98 PA after the Braves claimed him off waivers from the Rays on Sept. 1. Atlanta is expected to rely on some combination of Mauricio Dubón and Nacho Alvarez Jr. in Kim’s absence, while also adding Jorge Mateo on Monday in free agency.

It’s been a big week for Jon Lester. The left-hander was announced on 1/17 as one of four inductees into the Red Sox Hall of Fame this summer. The following Friday, the Cubs revealed plans to do the same. Lester was 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA in 1002.2 IP across six seasons with the Cubs, going to a pair of All-Star Games and helping the team win the 2016 World Series.

Right-hander Ryan Pressly announced his retirement this week after a 13-year career. Pressly spent six seasons with the Twins, seven with the Astros, and one final year with the Cubs, posting a 3.33 ERA (126 ERA+) over 691.1 IP while collecting 117 saves. His tenure with Houston is where he is best known. Pressly had a 2.81 ERA with 111 saves, two All-Star appearances, and won a World Series with the Astros. The Texas-native also impressed in his postseason career, putting up a 2.78 ERA in 45.1 IP (buoyed by a 22.2 IP scoreless streak that spanned from 2021 to 2023).