Chung Jung-cheol has been designated for assignment three times during the offseason, and his future destination remains uncertain.

Chung Jung-cheol, currently gearing up for the World Baseball Classic, has recently encountered another significant career change. Despite the New York Mets, his new club, approving his representation of Chinese Taipei on the 21st, they designated him for assignment once more on the 23rd because of 40-man roster changes. This is the third DFA he has faced this offseason.

Last season, while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chung Jung-cheol briefly appeared in the major leagues but was sent down to Triple-A before recording his first career hit, where he remained until the season ended. During the offseason, the Pirates designated him for assignment to clear a spot on their 40-man roster after a three-team trade. He was then claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays but was soon DFA’d again and subsequently joined the Mets. To sign outfielder Luis Garcia, the Mets decided to remove Chung from their 40-man roster.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, although it may seem unusual for a team to claim a player off waivers only to quickly remove him from the roster again, this practice has become increasingly common in recent years. Teams usually hope that players will remain within the organization through the waiver process without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

For Chung Jung-cheol, since he has not yet experienced a "outright assignment" (being removed from the 40-man roster and directly accepting a minor league contract) and has less than three years of major league service time, he would not be able to elect free agency if sent straight to the minors.

By rule, the Mets have a one-week window to act after making the DFA decision, and the waiver process itself takes 48 hours. Therefore, the team can keep Chung Jung-cheol for about five days while evaluating whether other teams are interested in a trade, or they may choose to place him on waivers earlier. His next move remains to be seen.