The gap between Choi Ji-man and the Pittsburgh Pirates is $750,000.
MLB.com and Pittsburgh media reported on the 14th (hereinafter Korean time) that Choi Ji-man and Pittsburgh had not reached an agreement on the salary for the 2023 season. Subsequently, MLB Network John Heyman wrote on his Twitter that Choi Man-man asked for $5.4 million, and Pittsburgh offered $4.65 million.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Choi Ji-man would receive $4.5 million this season. In fact, the club asked for a higher amount, and it turned out that Choi Ji-man wanted a much higher amount. Choi Ji-man was not good in the 2022 season due to elbow pain. In 113 games, batting average 0.233, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, OPS 0.729. 먹튀검증
If major league clubs do not treat players eligible for salary arbitration as non-tenders, they must raise their salaries unconditionally. Since Choi Ji-man is qualified in the 2023-2024 FA market, it helps to increase the value in the FA market by getting a little more ahead of the preliminary FA season.
In the 2020-2021 offseason, which was during the Tampa Bay Race, Choi Ji-man decided on the 2021 salary after going through the Salary Adjustment Committee. At the time, Tampa Bay offered $1.85 million, and Choi Ji-man wanted $2.45 million. In the end, the salary adjustment committee members raised Choi Ji-man’s hand and received $2.45 million.
Meanwhile, Choi Ji-man was included in the final entry for the Korean WBC national team led by Lee Kang-cheol. However, Pittsburgh is in a position to first look at the condition of his left elbow, which had bone fragment removal surgery last fall. Official permission from Pittsburgh has yet to be given.