The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired firstbaseman Ji-man Choi (최지만) from Tampa Bay. Choi, has played on four different teams over his seven years in the league, and has found his most success and longevity with the Rays over the last five years. As has been the fashion with the Pirates and seasoned players, he figures to provide a solid veteran presence at 1B, at least for part of the season before being moved near the deadline.
If Choi plays in a regular season game he will be the fifth Korean in Pittsburgh Pirates history: Chan-ho Park in 2010, Jung-ho Kang from 2015 through 2019, Hoy Park in 2021-2022, and Ji-hwan Bae in 2022, though the Pirates have had several other Korean prospects and players in their system over the decades.
Choi, Jung-ho Kang, and Ji-hwan Bae in 2019, from Bae's Instagram.
