Ji-Man Choi arrived at Mets camp on Saturday, just the next day after his signing broke online.

The immediacy of both his signing and arrival at camp is somewhat surprising. The Mets weren’t linked to Choi this offseason, and it looked like the club was set at the first base position with Pete Alonso and  Mark Vientos.

Even Choi’s other position, designated hitter, looked taken care of. DJ Stewart had an inspiring August last season, and if the Mets were to add another bat, the names being discussed were Jorge Soler, Justin Turner, and J.D. Martinez, who is the only available free agent of the three.

Sep 30, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ji-Man Choi (91) hits an RBI-double against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Still, the surprise of the Choi signing shouldn’t push any narratives. It’s as it looks. Originally reported by Jiheon Pae of spochoo.com, the Mets signed Choi to a split contract worth $3.5 million (including incentives). It’s now known the deal is a minor-league contract, with bonuses that bring the deal to $3.5 million if Choi makes the opening-day roster.

This will put Choi up against Vientos, Stewart, and others this spring training. If Choi succeeds and tears it up in the Grapefruit League, then the Mets have a true backup first baseman for the 2024 season at a low cost. The worst-case scenario is Choi has a lackluster spring, and the Mets have a reliable backup in Triple-A Syracuse.

Choi isn’t a bad backup to have either. The native Korean boasts a career .338 on-base percentage, and had a productive season as recently as 2022, where he slashed .233/.341/.388 with 22 doubles and a 113 OPS+.

Choi’s 2023 wasn’t as pretty as years before, but it was mostly due to injury. After being traded to the Pirates in the offseason, Choi strained his Achilles in April and missed the next eight weeks. He came back on July 7 and clubbed six homers in 23 games for the Pirates, which earned him a trade to the Padres.

The injuries followed Choi, however, to San Diego. He strained his rib after only seven games in a Padres uniform, and then while making minor-league rehab starts in September, Choi suffered a Lisfranc fracture after fouling a ball off his right foot.

The injuries are worth noting for Choi because of his previous production. From 2017-2022, Choi averaged a 119 OPS+ in the majors, slashing .245/.351/.436 with 56 homers in 432 games. While it’s not wise to bet on a 33-year-old bouncing back from injury, Choi has produced in the past, and looks healthy heading into 2024.

This past production also led other teams to look into Choi. According to Jeeho Yoo, Choi received interest from the Blue Jays, Rangers, White Sox, Nationals, and Padres, along with three teams from Japan. It can be bookmarked as another under-the-radar move from Stearns.

And that’s all the move is. Under the radar. This signing doesn’t take the Mets out from signing a Martinez, Adam Duvall, or Tommy Pham. As mentioned before, Choi’s signed to a minor league deal, and also fulfills a role the Mets didn’t have on their roster. A true, backup first baseman.