Former Padres infielder Ji-man Choi has agreed to a minor-league deal with the New York Mets. New York announced the move on their social media account.
Choi came to the Padres at the trade deadline last season from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the same deal that netted San Diego starter Rich Hill. He was brought in to help fill a bench role for the Padres down the stretch, but Choi never found his rhythm.
He struggled mightily with the Padres, hitting just 0.65 with zero home runs and two runs batted in over 16 games. Choi was placed on the injured list shortly into his Padres tenure with a left rib strain, adding to his issues.
San Diego never got to see what Choi could offer them, and the acquisition was a major dud. Before joining the Padres, Choi hit .205 with six home runs and 11 runs batted in over 23 games with the Pirates.
He has bounced around the league a little during his career, spending time with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. Choi will likely get an opportunity to land on the big league roster with the Mets, and maybe his luck will be better this season.
Choi holds a career .234 batting average with 67 home runs and 238 runs batted in. We wish him all the luck with the Mets, except when they play the Padres, of course.
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