Ji Man Choi (32) will join Ha-Seong Kim (27) as they both play for the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB).
“In a trio of trades on Tuesday, San Diego addressed seemingly every area of need on its big league roster. First, the Padres landed left-hander Rich Hill and first baseman Ji Man Choi in a deal with the Pirates,” MLB.com reported on August 1.
The Padres acquired Choi and Hill from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for three prospects: left-handed pitcher Jackson Wolf, outfielder Estuar Suero, and first baseman Alfonso Rivas.
This unexpected trade came as a surprise to Korean baseball fans.
Ji Man Choi, who previously played in Pittsburgh with Ji Hwan Bae, will now spend the rest of the season alongside Ha-Seong Kim.
Choi made his big league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 and subsequently played for the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Pittsburgh Pirates before moving to San Diego. The Padres mark his sixth big league team.
Choi sustained a left Achilles tendon injury in April of this year, leading to almost three months of absence before returning to the big leagues on July 8. Despite batting just .205 with six home runs and 11 RBIs (Runs Batted In) this season, he has regained his power, hitting four home runs in his last eight starts.
“Choi will presumably get starts at Designated Hitter against right-handed pitching while coming off the bench against lefties,” stated MLB.com.
Choi will make history as the first Korean hitter to play in the World Series, a milestone that his teammate Ha-Seong Kim is eagerly looking forward to experiencing.
In fact, Choi already achieved the feat of being the first Korean to play in the World Series in 2020 when he was part of the Tampa Bay team.
San Diego, still determined to make it to the postseason, signed Choi, who will be eligible for free agency after this season.
Together with Ha-Seong Kim, who has established himself as one of the best infielders in MLB, Choi and Kim will form the formidable “Korean Duo” for the San Diego Padres.
BY JUNHAN PARK [park.junhan@koreadaily.com]
