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Crede cleared for baseball activity


RME JICO

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-07...hi_tab02_layout

 

The White Sox solved one question Friday when they learned third baseman Joe Crede had been cleared for all baseball activity.

 

Crede's progress from lower-back surgery June 12 gives the Sox some assurance he will be ready before spring training in mid-February and gives them options as they try to improve a roster that lost 90 games in 2007.

 

Questions, however, remain about third base because Crede can become a free agent after the 2008 season. Josh Fields lacks Crede's defensive skills, but he was moved back to third after a four-week stint in left field late in the 2007 season.

 

Crede and utility player Pablo Ozuna were reinstated to the 40-man roster from the 60-day disabled list Friday, and reliever Ryan Bukvich was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. Bukvich declined his assignment and will become a free agent.

 

The moves leave the Sox with 39 players on the roster. Teams cannot carry players on the 15- or 60-day DL when 40-man rosters are required to be submitted by Nov. 20.

 

The value of Crede, who is eligible for arbitration, will be an interesting topic for the Sox. He received $4.94 million last season but played only 47 games, hitting .216 with four homers. That was a considerable drop from 2006, when he batted .283 with a career-high 30 home runs.

 

He is back quicker than I thought.

Edited by RME JICO
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Sign Joe before the season starts. Fields is not the 3B person we need to make a run at a championship. It is Joe Crede. Josh needs grooming out there in LF. He can play an occassional game at 3B along with Ozuna though. One question I have though - does anyone think Fieds could make the transformation at 2B or SS? Did he ever play there?

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QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 12:48 PM)
Sign Joe before the season starts. Fields is not the 3B person we need to make a run at a championship. It is Joe Crede. Josh needs grooming out there in LF. He can play an occassional game at 3B along with Ozuna though. One question I have though - does anyone think Fieds could make the transformation at 2B or SS? Did he ever play there?

 

Your love affair with Crede is quite evident. Regarding Fields, have you gone mad?

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QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 12:48 PM)
Sign Joe before the season starts. Fields is not the 3B person we need to make a run at a championship. It is Joe Crede. Josh needs grooming out there in LF. He can play an occassional game at 3B along with Ozuna though. One question I have though - does anyone think Fieds could make the transformation at 2B or SS? Did he ever play there?

 

Trade Joe ASAP. Let Field man 3B for the next five years, annually putting up higher HR and OPS figures than Crede will between 2008-2012 but, granted, not getting to a couple of balls a month that Joe would have.

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QUOTE(PHAT ALBERT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 01:57 PM)
Trade Joe ASAP. Let Field man 3B for the next five years, annually putting up higher HR and OPS figures than Crede will between 2008-2012 but, granted, not getting to a couple of balls a month that Joe would have.

 

there's a huge difference between Crede and Fields at 3B

 

 

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QUOTE(PHAT ALBERT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 11:57 AM)
Trade Joe ASAP. Let Field man 3B for the next five years, annually putting up higher HR and OPS figures than Crede will between 2008-2012 but, granted, not getting to a couple of balls a month that Joe would have.

Right now, if we traded Joe, we'd be getting back at best either some washed up prospect another team is looking to dump or an overpaid guy who's salary a team is looking to shed. It makes very little sense to move Mr. Crede right now for either of those options, unless you have a really, really good fit in that salary dump guy. If Joe could come out healthy next season for at least a month, his value could rapidly increase.

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Getting Joe back will be huge for this team. Joe is a defensive god and offensively I think we will see him produce similar to his 2006 season (yes I have blind optimism when it comes to Crede). Plus it means Fields moves to LF so we gain production in LF and defense at 3rd. The only real thing I doubt when it comes to Joe is the ability for him to post an average to above average OBP (if he could do that I'd be all for signing him to an extension early next year).

 

Still, if they could get him to agree to a 3 yr deal at like 6 mill a year I'd do it.

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QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 01:37 PM)
Still, if they could get him to agree to a 3 yr deal at like 6 mill a year I'd do it.

Right now, this wouldn't be a terrible idea for either side. Joe'd get some insurance for in case his back goes out again, and the Sox would get a chance to gamble on having Joe locked up for a reasonable amount for 3 more years.

 

But, due entirely to Joe's agent, it won't happen.

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QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 12:48 PM)
Sign Joe before the season starts. Fields is not the 3B person we need to make a run at a championship. It is Joe Crede. Josh needs grooming out there in LF. He can play an occassional game at 3B along with Ozuna though. One question I have though - does anyone think Fieds could make the transformation at 2B or SS? Did he ever play there?

 

Fields at 2B or SS is not even close to possible.

 

On a team with an already high payroll, they need to find value anywhere they can. Fields is one of the (or the) only youngster we have with a productive MLB ready bat, and with a league minimum salary. He's already close to, at, or better than Crede offensively. Obviously he's worse defensively, though certainly with potential to improve. Crede starts '08 at 3rd. What happens to him depends on whether or not the Sox are in contention. Trade him at the deadline if we're out of it. Keep him and take the picks if we've got a shot. If he plays well and we can sign him to a hometown discount, great, but I highly doubt that.

 

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QUOTE(sircaffey @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 05:55 PM)
Your love affair with Crede is quite evident. Regarding Fields, have you gone mad?

 

 

Listen I am not crazy. I may look and sound wierd, but I am just an ordinary guy like you :P

 

Now what is wrong with my idea of Crede at 3B and Fields in LF? I just asked if anyone knew if Josh had ever played SS or 2B? It appears not though from other posters.

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I think it would be a huge mistake to give any long-term deal to Joe Crede early in the year. Back problems have a tendency to linger. You may see Joe play healthy for a couple months then either be out for an extended period of time or in and out of the lineup all season. Is Crede that necessary to this team to risk any long term deal on? Age 30, missed almost a full season, serious back issues, entering declining years...Play Josh at 3B, spend the money on an OF.

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QUOTE(sircaffey @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 07:02 PM)
I think it would be a huge mistake to give any long-term deal to Joe Crede early in the year. Back problems have a tendency to linger. You may see Joe play healthy for a couple months then either be out for an extended period of time or in and out of the lineup all season. Is Crede that necessary to this team to risk any long term deal on? Age 30, missed almost a full season, serious back issues, entering declining years...Play Josh at 3B, spend the money on an OF.

 

If Crede has a big year for us and shows no ill-effects from that back injury, I'd sign Crede to a long term deal in a second. However, it's up to KW. KW will not give in to what Boras will ask for.

 

My guess is if Crede reverts to '06 form and is healthy, Crede will get a Konerko like contract.

 

The WSox are in such a tough spot with Fields/Crede. Crede is virtually untradeable at this point with his situation and Fields really isn't worth us trading, either (IMO). Yet after Crede walks this year, we'll have to move Fields back to 3rd and start his learning process at 3rd all over again.

 

It really is a tough spot for WSox management.

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QUOTE(BearSox @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 11:51 PM)
gosh, Crede is so freaking overrated by Sox fans. I mean hes a good player and all when and IF he is healthy, but he ain't anything special.

 

For the 1st half of the '06 season, Crede was our best player. Subjective? Yes. But, I'm not alone on that. Hawk said that every other day on Comcast. On scale of 1-10 in rating Crede's defense...Crede is a 10 at the hot corner IMO.

 

Anytime you have an playoff run like he did in '05 and then follow it up with a 30,30,100,.300 type season while having two herniated discs in your back...

 

people will tend to be optimistic about a player like that.

Edited by rockren
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QUOTE(BearSox @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 11:51 PM)
gosh, Crede is so freaking overrated by Sox fans. I mean hes a good player and all when and IF he is healthy, but he ain't anything special.

Think so, eh?

 

Name the better 3Bs that have played for the WhiteSox in the last 30 years.

 

It's a very short list.

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There aren't many 3B folks out there better than Joe. He is in the upper tier. Interesting stat about the WS Rockies team. 16 of their players are home grown. We have a tendency to trade or let walk our organizations stars when they get to the point they can make some money. You don't build a stable winning team doing that and why would we just continue to trade or let walk away our best talent!? We get youth from another organization and continue to work through the learning curve. It seems KW may be changing that approach as we have seen lately, but Joe Crede needs to stay also.

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