Jiman Choi To Begin South Korean Military Service; Eyes KBO Debut In 2027

By Nick Deeds | May 4, 2025 at 3:12pm CDT

Former big league first baseman Jiman Choi is returning to his home country of South Korea to begin 21 months of mandatory military service, according to a report from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The eight-year MLB veteran hopes to continue his playing career with the Korea Baseball Organization in 2027, once he has completed that conscripted service.

Since 1957, male citizens of South Korea between the ages of 18 and 35 have been required to complete between 18 and 21 months of military service. Topkin notes that the soon-to-be 34-year-old veteran was able to delay his military service until the age of 37 due to his status as a legal permanent resident of the United States. This status allowed Choi to sign with the Mariners back in 2010 and begin a baseball career stateside. Choi made his MLB debut during the 2016 season as a member of the Angels and briefly appeared for the Yankees and Brewers before arriving in Tampa and breaking out with the Rays during the 2018 season.

Choi was a quality piece for the Rays across his five seasons with the club, slashing .245/.352/.431 (120 wRC+) in 414 games with the organization. Among players with at least a full season of playing time in Tampa during Choi’s time with the club, that wRC+ ranks sixth behind only Tommy Pham, Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Diaz, and Austin Meadows. Choi’s time with the Rays coincided with four years of the club’s five-season stretch of consecutive postseason appearances, and his performance in 29 playoff games for those clubs was very impressive. Choi slashed .221/.398/.412 in the playoffs with the Rays overall, including a .250/.412/.425 slash line during the team’s run to the World Series in 2020.

Choi was traded to the Pirates in November of 2022 and split his 2023 campaign between Pittsburgh and San Diego. Unfortunately, the then-32-year-old veteran struggled to a lackluster .163/.239/.385 slash line that year while being limited to just 39 games by injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the Mets prior to the 2024 campaign but was once again hampered by injuries and eventually departed the organization in June of last year. Choi has not played in affiliated ball since, and now he’s set to leave MLB behind.

While Choi has his eyes on participating in his home country’s KBO league to continue his playing career, there will be obstacles to that goal. The first is his aforementioned military service. Topkin notes that Choi is set to have a non-combat role (rather than serving in the active South Korean military) and will be able to continue baseball workouts and training when not working, but it’s worth noting that the veteran will be 36 years old when he’s first eligible to suit up for a KBO team.

Also, Choi won’t be a free agent as he enters the KBO, since he is still restricted by the league’s draft rules. It’s unclear whether a KBO team will have interest in drafting a slugger in his mid-thirties with a lengthy injury history, but it is worth noting that former big leaguers like Shin-Soo Choo and Hyun Jin Ryu have gone to the KBO after their MLB careers and played into their late 30s and early 40s. Across the KBO league’s 10 teams this year, 35 players are playing in their age-36 season or older, giving some reason for optimism that Choi will be able to leverage his pedigree of MLB success into a role with the league two years from now.

Regardless of what happens with the future of his playing career in South Korea, Choi departs MLB a lifetime .234/.338/.426 hitter across 525 games in the majors. MLBTR congratulates Choi on a fine MLB career and wishes him all the best in his upcoming service, eventual return to his playing career, and any additional future endeavors.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48909916)

"I would be considered chaebong hyung, which is loosely translated as human garbage," he said. "Korean women have been known to throw themselves into furnaces to avoid chaebong hyung," he added.

http://espn.com/stories/jiman-choi-will-complete-mandatory-service.htm

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48909935)

https://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1972414&mc=90&forum_id=2

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48928310)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48928383)

then why'd u cum here in the first place? LOL insecure Gook DONE HERE

http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1972414&forum_id=2#48826539

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48928384)

is the dodge drafting chaebong hyuung trying to deflect?

just LOFL @ this pussy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#48929003)

http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3736453&forum_id=2#34242968

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5721358&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310486#49022739)