Marc Kroon decided against exercising an opt-out clause in his Triple-A contract, a development that pleased Giants officials today.
It also should please viewers of “The Franchise,” the Showtime documentary series following the Giants, in which Kroon’s sotry emerged as one of the most poignant and heart-tugging vignettes in the pilot episode.
Kroon, 37, narrowly missed making the Giants’ roster out of spring training but decided to report to the minor leagues in his bid to appear in the majors for the first time since 2004. He had spent six seasons as a closer in Japan (for the Yomiuri Tokyo Giants and Yokohama Bay Stars) and there were rumors that the Seibu Lions were interested in signing him.
Kroon told me in the spring that he wants to make the majors partly because his teenage son keeps encouraging him.
A former triple-digits flamethrower who owns the record for fastest pitch in the Japanese pro leagues, Kroon still dials it in the mid-90s. He has pitched reasonably well as the closer at Triple-A Fresno, posting a 1-2 record and 3.10 ERA along with 12 saves in 21 appearances. He has yielded 20 hits and 10 walks in 20 1/3 innings. He also has struck out 25.
The Giants don’t have a vacancy in the bullpen at the moment. They just sent out left-hander Dan Runzler to activate right-hander Santiago Casilla from the disabled list. But I would imagine that Kroon would be rewarded at some point, even if it’s after rosters expand in September.
