Tampa Bay Rays trade Choi Ji-man to the Pittsburgh Pirates

Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, leaving the Tampa Bay Rays after four and a half years with the Florida team.

With the move, the Pirates now have three Korean infielders on their books: Choi, Park Hoy-jun and Bae Ji-hwan.

Choi is set to return to Korea this weekend will undergo surgery on an elbow injury during the offseason. Choi played the latter half of the 2022 season with a bone fragment in his right elbow, which he will now have removed while in Seoul.

The Rays received pitcher Jack Hartman in exchange for Choi.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]