The Pittsburgh Pirates have blocked Ji-Man Choi from playing in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and the newly signed slugger is not happy about it. Choi has yet to even take an at-bat for the Pirates after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. He was set to play for Team Korea, representing his country in the upcoming international tournament.This is a bad sign that the relationship between Choi and his new team is already strained. The Pirates made their decision based on Choi's health, but the player clearly disagrees with their assessment. There is over a month till the start of the WBC, which Choi likely feels is enough time to reach 100 percent.Jeeho Yoo shared the comments from Ji-Man Choi on Twitter.Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…4713Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…The Pittsburgh Pirates are far from the only team preventing a player from playing in the tournament. The Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are all limiting players dealing with injuries. While it makes sense from the perspective of an MLB team, fans are still disappointed.Troy Beck@troybeckThis is incredibly unfortunate. If they’re letting Bednar, they should let Ji Man. There’s no right answer when it comes to medicals but this feels petty as hell. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…113Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…This is incredibly unfortunate. If they’re letting Bednar, they should let Ji Man. There’s no right answer when it comes to medicals but this feels petty as hell. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Brian McElhinny@rtjrTrade for new 1B, immediately piss him off, nice. Also taking him to arb. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…485Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Trade for new 1B, immediately piss him off, nice. Also taking him to arb. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Tonio En El Bronx 🇵🇷@MetsTonioImagine not allowing a guy to represent his country. Just put him on a inning count twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…4713Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Imagine not allowing a guy to represent his country. Just put him on a inning count twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…The World Baseball Classic is supposed to showcase talent on an international stage, where fans can see the best the game has to offer play for their countries and battle for the top prize. When players are blocked from participating by an uninvolved entity, it almost feels unfair.John Akey (he/him)@jpakey99I feel like the Pirates and Ji-man Choi have a very contentious relationship. Going to to Arb, now this. twitter.com/Jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…113Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…I feel like the Pirates and Ji-man Choi have a very contentious relationship. Going to to Arb, now this. twitter.com/Jeeho_1/status…Ryan@rounder829Our first baseman hates the Bucs before ST even begins. Good start. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…141Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Our first baseman hates the Bucs before ST even begins. Good start. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Zach@ZV412Pissing off a new signing before they even take a swing is the most “Pirates” thing ever twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…4713Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Pissing off a new signing before they even take a swing is the most “Pirates” thing ever twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…The Pittsburgh Pirates are well within their rights to block Choi from playing, and some fans even support the move. The tournament is ultimately meaningless in regards to the upcoming MLB season, even if players are excited to participate. Perhaps the Pirates' choice doesn't wind up costing them in the long run with Ji-Man Choi.ForTheCity_412@JimStamm22The WBC is secondary. Sorry, that's just the way it goes. No issue with this whatsoever from the #Pirates side of things. twitter.com/Jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…1013Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…The WBC is secondary. Sorry, that's just the way it goes. No issue with this whatsoever from the #Pirates side of things. twitter.com/Jeeho_1/status…Anthony Murphy@__Murphy88Pirates take their fair share of LsThis isn’t one of them twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…213Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Pirates take their fair share of LsThis isn’t one of them twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Rum Bunter@rumbunterChoi is new to the organization and coming off of offseason elbow surgery. Hard to fault the Pirates for not wanting him to participate in the WBC. Also easy to understand the disappointment from Choi. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…Jeeho Yoo@Jeeho_1Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…211Pirates 1B Choi Ji-man says he was "deeply hurt" by the decision to keep him out of the #WBC for medical reasons. Says his rehab from Nov. elbow surgery was going well and he was building up for the big tournament. More on Choi and @WBCBaseball here:en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202302…Choi is new to the organization and coming off of offseason elbow surgery. Hard to fault the Pirates for not wanting him to participate in the WBC. Also easy to understand the disappointment from Choi. twitter.com/jeeho_1/status…The Pirates aren't taking any chances with the health of their new first baseman heading into the 2023 season.What are the Pittsburgh Pirates' expectations for the upcoming season?Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York MetsFor the first time in a long time, Pirates fans are excited for next season. They have a burgeoning new star in Oneil Cruz and a returning hero in Andrew McCutchen. Even before looking at whether or not they can be playoff contenders, their roster will be a lot of fun to watch.The Pittsburgh Pirates have a long way to go before being ready for the playoffs. However, they made some solid moves and could surprise the baseball world. Only time will tell how far this roster can go in 2023.