▲ In this Getty Images file photo from July 17, 2019, Kevin Cron of the Arizona Diamondbacks (C) is greeted by his teammate Carson Kelly (L) after hitting a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the top of the second inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. (Yonhap)
▲ Kevin Cron, a new acquisition by the Korea Baseball Organization club SSG Landers, poses with his jersey after signing with the team, in this photo provided by the Landers on Dec. 4, 2021. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

baseball club player

KBO's Landers sign ex-MLB hitter Kevin Cron

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club SSG Landers announced Saturday they've acquired a former major league infielder Kevin Cron.

Cron has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to US$1 million, the maximum amount allowed for first-year foreign players in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). He will earn $600,000 in guaranteed salary, $150,000 as a signing bonus and up to $250,000 in incentives.

Cron, 28, was a third round choice by the Seattle Mariners in the 2011 major league draft but chose to attend Texas Christian University instead. He was picked in the 14th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks three years later.

Cron made his big league debut with Arizona in 2019 and had six homers and 16 RBIs in 39 games that year. He appeared in only eight more games the following season and then took his talents to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 2021.

In 42 games for Hiroshima, Cron managed just six homers and 16 RBIs while striking out 47 times.

But Cron has flashed some power potential in the U.S. minor leagues. In two Triple-A seasons, Cron launched 60 home runs and drove in 202 runs over 186 games, with a .319/.405/.651 line. He led the Pacific Coast League with 38 home runs in 2019.

The Landers said they're banking on power production from Cron, listed at 196 centimeters and 115 kilograms.

The Landers led the KBO with 185 home runs in 144 regular season games in 2021. Cron will replace Jamie Romak, who retired last month after belting 155 home runs in five seasons with the Landers. The team earlier said the new foreign hitter would don the same No. 27 that Romak wore in honor of the Canadian slugger.

KBO teams can sign up to three foreign players, with a maximum two pitchers. Clubs typically go with two starting pitchers and one hitter.

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