ESPN: The former Yankees player is enlisting in the military after receiving no MLB offers.
Jiman Choi’s MLB career is probably ended, but he is just starting a more significant role in a different kind of uniform.
According to Mark Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times, Choi, who is Korean, will start his required duty to the South Korean military this month. According to Topkin, basic training for a 21-month military duty will begin on May 15. South Korea has mandated mandatory military service for all male citizens aged 18 to 35 since 1957.
According to Topkin, Choi, 34, will work in an office or public facility performing “social service” duties rather than serving on the front lines. Home will be able to accommodate him.
According to a statement from Choi’s Seoul-based agency, Sports Vibe, “Choi Ji-man never forgot his responsibility as a Korean citizen to complete his military service duty even while playing overseas for a long time.” “In order to keep his promise to his supporters, he has made the decision to join the military.”
Choi wants to play in the KBO when that duty is over, but he will need to be picked.
Choi, a designated hitter and first baseman, hasn’t participated in big league baseball since 2023, when he spent time with the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted in 26 games for the Mets’ Triple-A team last season, but he was never called up. With four home runs, 191/.317.357. This offseason, he did not receive any offers from MLB.
Choi played for six Major League Baseball clubs, including the New York Yankees, where he appeared in six games in 2017 following Chris Carter’s slumps and Greg Bird’s injuries. Following the Yankees’ acquisition of Todd Frazier from the Chicago White Sox, Choi was assigned.
Even outfielder Aaron Judge, who was a rookie at the time, was impressed by Choi. After a game, Judge remarked, “You see how far (Choi) hit that ball?” “That was incredible. He had some good at-bats. He was battling. He just kept putting the ball in play, and there’s nothing more you can ask for.” During his eight-year career, Choi had his best seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he played for parts of five seasons, as well as the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers. He has 67 career home runs and a batting line of.234/.338/.426.
