“Choi to be considered for trade”, free agent after season, Pirates close to signing him

The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded first baseman Carlos Santana, which will give Choi more playing time for the rest of the season. However, there are reports that Choi, who is a free agent this offseason, is also a trade target.

Pittsburgh made the trade on Aug. 28, sending Santana to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for 18-year-old shortstop Johnny Severino.

The deal gives Milwaukee a first baseman to replace Raulie Tellez, who is rehabbing from injury, and Pittsburgh, which is in the midst of a rebuild, a promising shortstop. Severino was acquired last year for a $1.23 million signing bonus and has been pitching in the Arizona Complex League.

Milwaukee, which leads the National League Central with a 57-46 record, needed an offensive boost to clinch the division title. They have a 1.5-game lead over the second-place Cincinnati Reds. It’s a tight race.

Out of 30 teams, Milwaukee ranks 27th in team batting average (.232), 26th in team OPS (.687), 22nd in team home runs (107), and 26th in runs per game (4.11). It’s safe to say that their mound strength has kept them in the race thus far, as their 3.89 team ERA ranks third in the NL in that category.

Santana, a switch-hitter, joined Pittsburgh as a free agent last winter for $6.75 million.

In 94 games this season as Pittsburgh’s starting first baseman and designated hitter, Santana is batting .235 (81-for-345) with 12 home runs, 53 RBI, 45 runs scored, and a .733 OPS. He’s past his prime, but his one-hit power is expected to provide a boost to Milwaukee’s center field lineup.

“I was a little surprised, you don’t usually trade with a team from the same district, but it’s a business, so I understand,” Santana said of the trade, adding, “It’s a good thing (to go to a first-place team). They have a lot of good players and everyone works hard to win. They’re fighting for a playoff spot, and I like that.”

MLB.com reports, “Pittsburgh could trade Santana and move other veterans on one-year deals, including Rich Hill, Ji-Man Choi, Austin Hedges and Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen, however, said last month that he wanted to play out the rest of his career in Pittsburgh when trade rumors were swirling.

Choi could also be considered for a trade. Since returning from his Achilles injury, Choi has shown an upgraded bat in the second half of the year when healthy, so much so that other teams have actually been inquiring.온라인카지노

According to MLB.com, “Santana’s departure will leave Pittsburgh with Choi and Conor Jo at first base. Third baseman Jarrett Triolo and catcher Endy Rodriguez could also see time at first base. However, Choi may not be a Pirate for too much longer either,” the source said.

In 11 games since returning from injury, Choi is batting .250 (8-for-32) with four home runs, eight RBIs, five runs scored, a .942 OPS, and a wRC+ of 140. On the season, he’s batting .188 (12-for-64) with six home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and a .709 OPS.