Chicago White Sox: Why Crede is Here, and What He Can Do

It has to be the biggest debate among Chicago White Sox fans right now:  is picking Joe Crede over Josh Fields at third base the right move for the ballclub?

From the moment the White Sox drafted Fields in 2004, fans and scouts knew he would be quite an offensive threat once he got to the majors.  When he got his chance last year after Crede went down early with back problems, he lived up to his hype, finishing with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs.  Everyone thought he was now in the majors for good.

Before and during spring training, I, like most Sox fans, had the feeling Crede would be traded during baseball’s preseason to make room for Fields.  Before that could happen however, Crede had to prove he was both healthy coming off back surgery and ready to put big numbers up again.

While he has shown he is able to play defense with force again, his offensive numbers have been less than impressive, batting only .179 and driving in only two runs this spring.  Add that to health questions and you draw very little interest from other teams in the league.

The Giants were the team most mentioned in Crede trade rumors.  They need a third baseman and new acquisition Aaron Rowand even lobbied for his ex-teammate to join him in the Bay Area.  The Sox were looking for top prospects to add to their depleted farm system and could have used another starting pitcher to add to a rotation filled with question marks on the back end.  GM Kenny Williams scoffed at offers involving players like Dave Roberts, Scott Williamson, and Randy Messenger.  Long story short, Crede wasn’t seen as having much value.

Before and after Williams made the official decision to send Fields back to AAA in favor of the veteran, I came to realize that I didn’t have a problem with it.  Fields needs to work on his defense and plate discipline.  He flubbed quite a few plays in the field last season and was second on the team with 125 strikeouts.  It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more seasoning.

In the case of Crede, you can’t keep a veteran like him on the bench if you can’t trade him.  The Sox probably want to hang on to him while he tries to build trade value and bump up his asking price.  Fields has a lot of options left, but Crede is in a contract year and the Sox are trying to get something for him before they lose him to free agency after this season.  They still have some holes that they could fill in a potential deal.

Trading Fields shouldn’t even be considered because if that happens and then Crede walks, the Sox will have a big hole in the infield.  No matter what happens to Crede this year, Fields is waiting in the wings in case the veteran is traded or gets hurt again.  Therefore, the organization has a reliable backup plan.

This might not be the best move the Sox can make from a baseball standpoint, but if Crede proves he can play just about anywhere, he’ll be beneficial to the South Side in both the short and long-term.