30-homer man Crede gets $5 million deal

Third baseman Joe Crede and the Chicago White Sox agreed Tuesday to a $4.94 million, one-year contract and avoided arbitration.

The 28-year-old batted .283 last season with 30 home runs, 94 RBIs and had a .978 fielding percentage in 150 games.

The deadline for exchanging salary-arbitration figures was Tuesday, and there has been speculation that Crede's time with the White Sox might be nearing an end. He is eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.

"We certainly have a track record of trying to lock up core guys prior to reaching free agency _ the key thing being that we have Joe under control through the 2008 season, so it's not an immediate concern to address," assistant general manager Rick Hahn said. "We had to, prior to today's deadline, get the one-year deal in place. And as for anything in the future, we'll consider exploring anything that makes sense for both sides."

Crede's .970 fielding percentage over the past four seasons ranks second among AL third basemen behind Eric Chavez (.973), and his 92 home runs in that time are fourth behind Alex Rodriguez (118), Chavez (106) and Hank Blalock (99).

A career .262 hitter with 104 home runs and 345 RBIs since his debut in 2000, Crede was Chicago's last arbitration-eligible player to reach an agreement.

"I think too much has been made of (possibly losing Crede)," Hahn said. "And perhaps it is because we have been able to lock up guys before they hit free agency."

One notable exception was Paul Konerko, who explored the open market after the 2005 championship season and then re-signed for $60 million over five-years.

"Not having a guy signed to a multiyear deal is not an indication that ... he's on his way out the door," Hahn said. "I think a lot of that speculation is premature as it relates to Joe."

The fact that the organization is high on minor-leaguer Josh Fields has only added to that speculation.

"Josh has made a great deal of progress in the last two years, alone, and he's a guy we feel in the very near future is going to be an impact major-league bat," Hahn said. "We're either going to have to find a way to accommodate both of them or figure out something else that makes sense for the club. (Crede's) contract status is not really a factor in determining what the next move is going to be with regard to Joe or Josh Fields."