PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired first baseman Ji-Man Choi from Tampa Bay on Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Sam Hartman. The move gives the Pirates a veteran bat with a chance to provide the team with a short-term solution at a position it has struggled to fill since trading Josh Bell to Washington in December 2020. The 31-year-old Choi is a career .239 hitter in seven seasons with 61 home runs and 225 RBIs in 486 games spread among four teams. Choi spent the last four-plus seasons with Tampa Bay. He hit .233 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 113 games with the Rays in 2022. First base has been a revolving door for the Pirates since Bell’s departure. The players who made at least one start at first base for Pittsburgh in 2022 included Kevin Chavis, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Josh VanMeter, Bligh Madris and Daniel Vogelbach.