Choi Ji-man fails to agree on an annual salary with Pittsburgh… Reconciliation process in 2 years

Major leaguer Choi Ji-man (32) failed to reach an annual salary agreement for the 2023 season with his new team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On the 14th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League Baseball (MLB), said, “The Pittsburgh club could not reach a contract agreement with Choi Ji-man by the deadline for salary negotiations.”

Choi Ji-man held tug-of-war negotiations with the club until this day, which was the deadline for negotiations on players subject to salary adjustment, but showed disagreements regarding the salary for the 2023 season.

Choi Ji-man will acquire free agent (FA) qualification after the end of this year’s season. Accordingly, this Stove League is the last opportunity to exercise the right to adjust the salary. Recently, MLB trade rumors predicted Choi Ji-man’s annual salary for the 2023 season at $4.5 million.

Choi Ji-man, who received $3.2 million from the Tampa Bay Rays last year, played 113 games and recorded a batting average of 0.233, 83 hits, 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, 36 runs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.729. He was out of the team due to frequent injuries, and the opportunity to play was 먹튀검증 limited due to the platoon system (regarding whether to play or not depending on the type of starting pitcher of the opponent).

After the season, Choi Ji-man, who was traded to Pittsburgh, underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his elbow in Korea. On the 8th, he went to the United States and started preparing for the new season with rehabilitation training.

Choi Ji-man’s new salary is decided by the Salary Adjustment Committee. Choi Ji-man and the Pittsburgh club will each deliver their desired annual salary, and the Salary Adjustment Committee will choose one of them.

Previously, Choi Ji-man had the experience of going through the salary adjustment procedure once. After adjusting his salary in 2021, when he was a member of Tampa Bay, he won against the club and received the desired annual salary of $ 2.45 million. At the time, Tampa Bay’s offer was $1.85 million.

However, the player and the club may continue to negotiate and finalize the contract ahead of the salary adjustment committee to be held next month.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh team, excluding Choi Ji-man, has players subject to salary adjustments such as Mitch Keller ($2.4375 million), JT Brubaker ($2.275 million), Robert Stevenson ($1.75 million), and Dwayne Underwood Jr. ($1.025 million). negotiations are over