Crede's back -- for how long?
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Since taking over as White Sox general manager prior to the 2001 season, Kenny Williams has been willing to cut ties with some of the franchise's most productive, and appropriately popular, players.
He said so long to Magglio Ordonez following the 2004 season, when the star right fielder added Scott Boras in an agent flip and signed a monster free-agent deal with the rival Detroit Tigers.
Before the Sox won the 2005 World Series, Williams traded RBI machine Carlos Lee to the Milwaukee Brewers for Scott Podsednik.
And shortly after the White Sox swept the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic, Williams waded into a messy divorce with Frank Thomas, the best hitter in club history. He also traded Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome.
"When you sit in this chair, you have to be willing to take some hits,'' Williams recently said for probably the 100th time.
Is the White Sox' aggressive GM bracing himself for another round of blows? If Williams decides to make a move involving standout third baseman Joe Crede, more fur is sure to fly.
Crede was at the Sox' spring training complex on Saturday, when pitchers and catchers went through their first workout.
Drafted by the White Sox in 1996 out of tiny Westphalia (Mo.) High School, Crede made a steady progression through the farm system and took over as the starting third baseman in 2003. Two years later, he blossomed into a star during the Sox' impressive 11-1 run through the playoffs.
Crede continued his ascent in 2006, batting .283 with 30 home runs and 94 RBI (both career highs) while playing Gold Glove defense.
But the inflammation in his lower back started flaring up, and Crede finally opted for season-ending back surgery last June.
Now he's back, but so is Josh Fields, who stepped in for Crede last year and delivered 23 home runs and 67 RBI in only 100 games.
Considering he is also represented by Boras and eligible for free agency at the end of the season, Crede is widely considered expendable, assuming his back is healthy.
More than once, Williams has said there is not enough room on the 25-man roster for Crede and Fields. He stuck by that decision Saturday, but Williams said he is not actively shopping Crede.
"Josh is going to have to come in here and build on what he (did) last year,'' Williams said. "My message to (Crede), and I told him this on his way out the door, is that nothing is decided upon yet. Come here to compete. Don't assume that everything that you read, that you are going here or there, is true. We have time. There is no rush on this.''
Williams obviously needs some time to see if Crede is healthy. So do teams like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, who are looking for upgrades at third base.
"There's no doubt,'' Crede said when asked if he'd be ready to play at the start of the season. "I feel good, really good. I feel ready to go. There's no reason why I couldn't start doing stuff down here and be thrown in there.''
Crede said he wants to stay with the White Sox "the rest of my career,'' and added his alignment with Boras should not stand in the way of a contract extension.
"To be honest, I think they have a great relationship,'' Crede said of the Sox' well-documented difficulties dealing with Boras. "We've never had any problems with them and they've never expressed any problems with us. Every year we've done a contract, we've always got it done right away.''
Williams contacted Boras after Crede had surgery last summer and hoped to initiate some contract dialogue.
"I called to see if they were open to the idea of talking multi-year so that Joe wouldn't come into this last year and feel the added pressure, rather than taking the time,'' Williams said. "But I was told point blank that he was going to be taken into free agency and there was no interest in that discussion. So that's where we left it and we haven't revisited it.''