Coming into the offseason in desperate need of increased production at first base, the Pirates have taken a step to address the issue.
Pittsburgh acquired Ji-Man Choi from the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday night in exchange for minor-league pitcher Jack Hartman. The news was announced on social media minutes after being reported by baseball writer Homin Lee.
Choi, 31, hit .233 with 22 doubles, 11 home runs, and 52 RBI in a Rays uniform last year, his seventh major-league season.
He bounded around between the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers following his April 2016 debut before finding a home in Tampa the past five years.