Will Ji-Man Choi, 32, be traded less than a year after arriving in Pittsburgh?
MLB Trade Rumours (MLBTR), which covers Major League Baseball news, discussed the possibility of Pittsburgh being a “seller” in the trade market on Thursday in an article titled “Who will be traded at the trade deadline in Pittsburgh?”.
“The Pirates got off to a hot start, going 20-9 through the end of April, but they went 8-18 in May and the Pirates continued to slide down the standings,” said MLBTR. “The Pirates now have a record of 41-49. The Pirates are fourth in the National League Central, well behind the third-place Chicago Cubs, and Fangraphs gives them a 1.4 percent chance of making the postseason.” “Pittsburgh’s early-season surge was short-lived, and the Pirates have fallen off a cliff.메이저놀이터
It’s time to start preparing for next season. “Barring a massive rebound after the All-Star break, Pittsburgh will now have to start preparing for 2024, and they will likely discuss trading veterans to give playing time to younger players who can help them in the future,” MLBTR said.
So who are some of Pittsburgh’s trade candidates, according to MLBTR, including Choi, who recently returned from injury.
“Choi appeared in nine games before going on the disabled list with an Achilles injury in his left foot,” said MLBTR. He returned just before the All-Star break, and his performance over the next few weeks will likely determine trade interest in him,” said MLBTR on Choi’s trade potential.
Choi is batting just .159 with three home runs and four RBIs this season, but he showed signs of life in the second half of the season when he exploded for a home run and a double against Arizona on the 10th, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
“Choi’s salary this year is $4.65 million, and we estimate that he will have about $1.5 million remaining at the end of this month,” MLBTR added. This means that a team acquiring Choi in a trade would be able to get him for very little money.
In addition to Choi, MLBTR lists Rich Hill, Carlos Santana, Austin Hedges, Andrew McCutchen, Mitch Keller, David Bednar, and Conor Jo as possible trade candidates. The time for Pittsburgh to make a decision is fast approaching. With Choi set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, it will be interesting to see if he decides to change uniforms once again before the trade deadline.