Ulsan:<Text>
Former major league first baseman Choi Ji-man has signed with a minor league club in South Korea. The Ulsan Whales of the Futures League, the minor league of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), announced Thursday that Choi, 34, agreed to a one-year deal worth 30 million won (US$20,260), the same deal as all the other South Korean players for the club. The Whales, who joined the Futures League this season, will formally introduce Choi on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi expressed his enthusiasm for returning to play in his home country. In a statement released by the Whales, Choi mentioned, "I haven't played at home since high school and I want to show fans the kind of passion that I played with in Major League Baseball." He added his desire to see sellout crowds in Futures League games and his commitment to leading that effort as a veteran player.
Choi's MLB career spanned from 2016 to 2023, during which he played 525 games for si x clubs, achieving 67 home runs, 238 RBIs, and a .234 batting average. He had his most successful years with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018 to 2022 and made history in 2020 as the first South Korean position player to play in a World Series.
After a stint in Triple-A in 2024, Choi returned to South Korea last year to fulfill his mandatory military service. However, he was discharged after three months due to a knee injury. South Korean players who initially sign professional contracts abroad must wait two years after their last game with a foreign club to be eligible for the KBO draft. Choi, having last played in May 2024, is now eligible for this year's KBO draft.
Choi aims to demonstrate his value to a KBO club despite his age and past injuries during his time with the Whales. Whales manager Jang Won-jin emphasized that Choi will not be rushed into action. "I will have to see in person where he is physically. If he plays at less than 100 percent, there will be risks of inju ry," Jang stated. "We will take our time to determine exactly when he will play his first game for us."
Manager Jang also highlighted Choi's potential impact on younger players, stating, "Since he played first base in the big leagues, I'd like to put him at first base for our team as well. But depending on his health, we may use him as designated hitter."
<P/></Text>