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The Rays expect Choi to serve as their top designated hitter and an occasional first baseman in 2019, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Choi was quietly one of baseball's most productive hitters in the second half last season, supplying a .275/.382/.523 batting line and 149 wRC+, which ranked 17th among all hitters with at least 150 plate appearances after the break. That late-season surge should keep his spot atop the depth chart secure, though Choi will most likely have to settle for a platoon role at DH with Avisail Garcia or at first base with Yandy Diaz. The lefty-hitting Choi should at least benefit from earning the larger side of any timeshare, as Garcia and Diaz are both right-handed hitters.
