The Rockies signed Joe Crede to a minor league contract that's still pending a physical, the team announced (on Twitter). The Scott Boras client missed the 2010 season after dealing with back, shoulder, forearm, leg, knee and hand injuries with the Twins in 2009.
Boras said last month that Crede is healthy and "ready to come back and play." He played strong defense (+21.6 UZR/150) and showed some pop (15 homers in 367 plate appearances) with Minnesota in '09, so the 32-year-old has value when healthy.
Crede hit 30 homers five years ago and won the Silver Slugger. He may not make another All-Star team, but his .254/.304/.444 career line and history as a strong defender suggest he can help the Rockies if he's healthy. Colorado has a crowded infield, with Crede, Ian Stewart, Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Lopez, Jonathan Herrera, Eric Young, Ty Wigginton and Todd Helton all in the mix.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology…
JOOOOOOE CREDE! I wish him only the best.
I’ve always liked Crede. I hope his back holds up and he gets another shot in the majors.
When he plays he’s a wiz with the glove and is no slouch at the dish. I like this signing for the Rockies.
I’m not surprised. This is a stereotypical “Dan O’Dowd” move.
Good guy in and out outta the club house. Low risk, high reward. Definitely stereotypical O’Dowd move.
It’s been so long since I’ve heard anyone bring up Crede, I thought he was dead! Wow… I hope he can come back and even make the roster for the Rockies..
No risk, high reward signing. Let’s hope Crede can hold up, he’ll be a great asset for the team if he can.
Joooe Crrreeeeeeede! He was my favorite player growing up, and a great guy. Great with the glove, and is “Mr. Clutch”. I’d love to have him back with the Sox if we didn’t already have Joe Crede Jr. in Brent Morel.
It’s too bad he didn’t finish with the Sox. He seems to be well thought of. For some reason I saw him maybe with the Cardinals or Royals.
He’ll come to his rightful place one day.
He should’ve been singed a WHILE ago!
No, then he’d be injured for ANOTHER year!
Meh, I don’t see the reward in signing a player who hasn’t played in years and hasn’t hit well when he did play. If he does end up playing third for them, that would mean that a ton of their infielders failed because he should be around plan E on the depth chart. Hopefully Stewart, Wiggington, Lopez, Herrera, and Young won’t all bust in the same year.
he only missed one year and it was to fully recover and i mean fully recover…having a bad back its a good idea to take at least a year off much like TJ…give the back time to get healthy and give the back time to build strength and get back into playing shape and not rushing anything. And what are you talking about. He has always beena very very very good defender and was always at minimum a solid/ average hitterALSO ITS A MINOR LEAGUE DEAL
Man i miss barmes. sure his offense was a liability but his defense was great and he was a fan favorite. in return, we get felipe paulino who has little potential and a question mark at 2nd filled with overpaid 30 and olders
What Paulino has is stuff, you can’t teach stuff. You can develop a pitcher’s command, you can teach him new pitches and when to throw them. Barmes, while I love having him around was creating an even larger logjam in the infield with EYJ, Herrera, and Nelson needing more playing time. Of course, now they added Wigginton and Lopez, but hopefully more for utility purposes, bench bats (both are right handed) and insurance policies so that they can let the young guys get a shot at it first.
I love Crede. I hope he does well and succeeds because he deserves it. Nice low-risk pickup for the Crockies!
he has been a fan favorite every where he has gone.(see the welcome he got when he came back to the cell one the twins…he had to step out of the box while they played a song that almost brought him to tears) all of his teammates have always raved about him. He isa great defender and a good hitter and has very good power and clutch at bats(i know you cant measure it but you can see it) I always liked him and wish he was a minor league deal for the sox to help morell and vicedo along but i wish him well…if he makes the rockies it will be nice to see him get a chance again…plus him hitting in colorado will do nicely for him and considering of all the middle infielders they have on their 25 man he is probably the best defensive 3rdbasemen its not a bad signing at all
i would take crede over lopez any day of the week…wigginton is a super sub who has limited range and is struggles after the all star break. Look for him to platton with helton and maybe who ever plays second…crede would be a great back up(maybe even push ian out of starting) he is easily the best 3rd base candidate for them when healthy
I’d rather give Chris Nelson the extra 50-75 ABs in Spring Training.
Another chance? Wait are we talking about
Joe Prior
or
Mark Crede
I’m an orioles fan and don’t know much about the Rockies. So Ian Stewart is your everyday third basemen, Tulowitzki is the everyday 1st basemen, and what are Jose Lopez, Jonathan Herrera, Jonathan Herrera, Ty Wigginton, Todd Helton’s jobs over in Colorado.
joking?
Oh sry. I feel stupid that i put TT as the 1st basemen. Woops, i knew he was the shortstop.
ok Ian stwert is the 3rd baseman, Tulo is the SS, Helton is the 1B, Ty is going to be in a platoon with helton or super sub. Johnathan herra, and eric young are trying to win the 2nd base job along with Jose Lopez. SO Crede is a good bench bat or 3b opption. Stwert struggles against sertant leftlys and can play 2b. And thats the Rokkies infield…
PLease correct me if im wrong
thanks
Sertant… Not finding that one in the dictionary.
How do the Halo’s miss an easy signing like this? A no brainer for a team with a huge ? at 3B. I suppose they can make a deal, the Rockies are thick with corner infielders and light at catching (sorry Ianetta fans).
I have no idea why the cardinals did not sign him to a minor league deal. He is a missourian by birth and grew up a cardinal fan. He is among the top 5 fielding third basemen in the league. Although he has a traditionally elongated swing that caught up with him in the bigs, he has always had good pop in his bat. With David Freese on the come back trail, crede could potentially be a good fill in if frese doesn’t make it all the way back in a timely fashion. Crede is the quintessential #7 hitter. If it doesn’t work out, or he is not fully healed, what is the risk? no brainer……
the cards did not sign him even to a minor league deal because they literally need even single dollar they can save to extend wainwright, carpenter and mainly albert…
Carpenter: Signed for this year with a team option for 2012 at 15MM. He is at the age now, where extending him for muliple years is a bad idea. Let the current contract play out. Even after 2012, I can’t see Carp being in a position to command more than the 15MM he is already making, on a multi-year deal.
Wainwright: Already signed through 2013 on a series of team friendly options. (2012 became garaunteed with the top 5 cy young finish) That’s 3 more years under team control. I’m not sure where the myth about him about to become a free agent came from. 3 years is a long time in “pitcher years”. Making a habit out of extending pitchers 2-3 years before you need to, in my opinion, is bad business.
Albert: Obviously the extension needs to get done. But I’m not too concerned about it (yet). I’m sure there has been a “Albert account” for the last few years. It’s not like we just figured out last week he will be a free agent after this year.
The situation you are referring to is overblown. Of course there will be other contracts to address, but every team has it every year. As long as the Cardinals can get the Albert extension hammered out, they will be in good shape.
good pick up for the Rockies. He’ll win the starting job if he has any competition for 3rd..
If Crede can prove he is healthy(and thats a big if at the moment), I’m sure he will have a spot on the major league club only b/c Stewart has struggled so much against LHP in the past(especially in 2010). I see him playing the role Mora did last year…getting the spot start against lefties while being used in double switch opportunities and pinch hit roles late in ball games.
Some will say there simply isn’t room for him in an already very crowded infield which I understand but i feel as though Lopez will be the starting 2B, i just feel EYJ needs more tuning and Herrera isn’t an everyday player. Also with Wigginton i see him splitting a lot of the time over at 1B with Helton. I feel bringing in Crede gives you a true 3B to back up Stewart. I really like the move.
Looks like the Rockies think EYJ is no longer going to be in the infielder mix. He’s probably going to the OF to platoon with Dex. They are both terrible hitters, but great defenders. Herrera and Lopez are set at 2b and Crede will probably win the 3b job by June. Wigginton will win the 1b by May and should be penciled in as the starter (sorry helton fans but he’s just too old to do anything anymore). As far as Herrera, someon posted that he is not an everyday player, but when the Rockies were streaking win after win, WHO WAS LEADING OFF?????? Jonny Herrera. He may no be the flashiest of players, but he is a good patient lead off hitter, and probably the best lead off hitter the Rockies have, he battles eveytime at the plate and is a gritty player.
I believe your referring to the run they went on in late June/early July when tulo went down and herrera was given the opportunity at 2B with Barmes moving to SS…your correct that he was leading off when the rockies were “streaking win after win.” But he also was leading off when the rockies lost 9 of 11 right after the all star break. So pinning wins simply on Herrera isn’t the best way to back your belief that herrera should be the everyday 2B. I like herrera’s game and I feel he has every right to have a shot at playing 2B everyday and that’s what spring training is for.
Wishing Joe all the best from the South Side of Chicago! Happy to see you with a team I respect.
Hope this man can return to form.
I was under the impression that after the all-star break EYJ was leading off and they lost 9-11, but I’m not completely sure of that. I don’t think Lou is pinning wins on Herrera, but I do think he is our best lead-off hitter. He battles every at bat something EYJ and Dex have not the first clue about. As far as being an everyday starter I don’t believe he is ready for that, but he is more ready than EYJ. Jose Lopez is the starter and he will fare well at Coors field.