How realistic is Choi Ji-man (34), who was born in 1991, to challenge the KBO League.

SportsVive, which is in charge of Choi Ji-man's domestic management, said on the 25th that Choi Ji-man will join the military on May 15 to fulfill his mandatory military service as a Korean citizen. Choi Ji-man had no team since he was released by the New York Mets in June last year. Born in 1991, he seems to have taken the challenge of the KBO League to organize his life in the U.S. and publicly announce his military service.

Choi Ji-man, who graduated from Dongsan High School in Incheon, crossed the Pacific Ocean in 2009 by signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners. Since he went straight to the U.S. stage, a kind of penalty called "deferred period" is applied to play in the KBO league. Article 107 of the current KBO Baseball Covenant provides that "Among rookie players, players who have signed a contract with a foreign professional club without having attended high school or higher in Korea and registered as a member of a Korean professional club cannot sign a contract with a KBO club for two years from the date the contract with the relevant player is terminated." Under this provision, it is impossible for Choi to sign a contract with a KBO league club immediately. In the two-year period when the "deferral period" clause is applied, it can be seen that the "military service", which was the most urgent task in deciding on the future, is solved first.안전놀이터

After completing the military service, how likely is there to be a nomination for a rookie draft in the KBO League? In the case of minor league U-turners who previously participated in the rookie draft, such as Lee Hak-joo (second No. 2 in the second round in 2019), Lee Dae-eun (first No. 1 in the second round in 2019), Kim Dong-yeop (86th in the ninth round in 2016), and Kim Sun-ki (No. 8 in the second round in 2018), the order of nomination varies widely depending on the evaluation. 

"Choi Ji-man is too old. Even if he participates in the rookie draft this year, it would be even more so if he has served in the military," a club official said. "The situation is very different compared to other players who were ranked high (like Lee Hak-joo and Lee Dae-eun)." A club official also said, "If it is a low-ranking pick, any team can be selected, but we need to see the situation at the top. Realistically, it is not easy (at the current atmosphere)."

Choi has played for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Pittsburgh Pirates. His eight-year MLB record is 0.234 (367 hits), 67 home runs and 238 RBIs. He has a career-high batting average of 0.261 (107 hits), 19 home runs and 63 RBIs, which he recorded in 2019 when he played for Tampa Bay. Starting from the 2023 season, his playing capacity in games has decreased significantly. The key to this is whether he can elevate his sense of play at an age well over his mid-30s. "After all, how he manages his body while serving in the military is important," said a C team official.

SportsVive said, "I have not forgotten my responsibility to fulfill my duty of national defense as a Korean citizen despite my long career on overseas stages, and I decided to join the military to keep my promise to the fans," adding, "Choi Ji-man will faithfully fulfill his military service obligations, and management companies will also continue to support athletes for healthy service."