Former MLB First Baseman Choi Ji-man Signs with Ulsan Whales in South Korea

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.

Choi logged 525 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six clubs from 2016 to 2023, putting up 67 home runs, 238 RBIs and a .234 batting average. He enjoyed his best years with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018 to 2022. In 2020, Choi became the first South Korean position player to play in a World Series.

After playing in Triple-A in 2024, Choi returned home last year to begin his mandatory military service. He was discharged after just three months due to a knee injury.

South Korean players who signed their first professional contracts in another country must wait two years after their last game with their foreign club to be eligible for the KBO draft. Choi, who last played his Triple-A game in May 2024, will be allowed to enter this year's KBO draft.

Choi will try to use his time with the Whales to prove he can still be an asset for a KBO club, despite his age and injury history.

As eager as Choi may be, Whales manager Jang Won-jin said he will not rush Choi 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 injury," Jang said. "We will take our time to determine exactly when he will play his first game for us."

Jang said he expects Choi to be a "major influence" on the Whalers' young players. "Since he played first base in the big leagues, I'd like to put him at first base for our team as well," the manager said. "But depending on his health, we may use him as designated hitter."