Inge or Crede?
The Tigers aren’t the only club with an incumbent third baseman they’d like to trade and the days dwindling until spring training. The White Sox agreed to terms with Joe Crede on a one-year, $5.1 million deal Thursday, but by most accounts, Chicago wants to start Josh Fields at third base. That puts Crede in limbo after hitting just .216 in a season limited to 47 games due to back problems. From MLB.com:
Crede finished with four home runs and 22 RBIs, after winning the American League Silver Slugger award in 2006 when he set career highs with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Despite Crede’s season-ending injury, Williams approached his third baseman and Scott Boras, Crede’s agent, concerning the possibility of a multiyear deal in 2007. Williams explained that he was told that Crede preferred to play out 2008 on a one-year deal and then approach a new contract.
The short-term contract might actually work to Chicago’s advantage here. Unlike Inge, whose contract is an obstacle to his move, Crede has some flexibility. The reason Crede will probably stick around with the Sox for a while, certainly in camp, is that he has to show he’s healthy. The flip side is that Crede is up for free agency next winter.
It’s striking how two careers have basically become parallel. Little more than a year ago, Crede and Inge were being mentioned alongside Eric Chavez as the best defensive third basemen in the American League, and they were seemingly on their way to blossoming offensively. Now they both face an uncertain future.
I guess the question is, if you’re a team looking for a third baseman, who would you rather have?
Jason Beck
Things do certainly change. As to the comparison it all boils down to how much money a club has and what their salary policy is.
1. Inge would be a better player to have on your team.
Besides playing a phenomenal 2B he can play anywhere else on the field.
2. He is healthy
3. He plays for the Detroit Tigers and was displaced by the nexp premier offensive player in the game.
I think it 60-40 that Brandon sticks with club.
It all comes down to Crede’s health – if he’s healthy, he’s a much bigger offensive threat. If I didn’t have an incumbent third baseman, I might try him for a year and see what happens. I love Inge, but his flexibility is probably his greatest asset. He seems (although we haven’t heard anything from him directly) to be reluctant to take advantage of that.
Oops, fat-fingered the button…
In any case, we don’t really know what Brandon is thinking because he hasn’t said anything, but I wonder if he seemed more willing to move around whether there might be more interest (particularly from NL teams). I don’t know if he’s consistent enough at the plate for there to be a lot of demand for him as a full-time third baseman. Of course, one big season at the plate could change everything. Hopefully that will happen this year, for the Tigers.
matt