Saturday, February 21, 2009

Could Third Be Dayan Viciedo's?

Now that Joe Crede has signed an incentive laden contract with the Minnesota Twins, could this mean Josh Fields demotion? It certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility. While you are scrambling to connect the dots, let me explain.

Joe Crede will potentially be playing with a division rival. If his back holds up, he will be playing many games with a division rival. Frankly, I don't see that bad back playing too many games on that artificial surface, but the opportunity is there.

Josh Fields has been playing under Crede for the better part of two years. This would have given Crede an advantage to study the work ethics and fielding habits of Josh Fields on a level that no game tape could possibly provide. If Josh hasn't changed his fielding drastically, the Twins could exploit those habits whenever they played the Sox. Josh has been working extra hard this offseason and is said to be a completely different player.

On the other hand, Dayan Viciedo has not been seen by too many organizations yet. If he is half as good as the White Sox claim, Dayan should have no trouble fitting in on the major league level. Does that mean that Dayan will get the nod over Fields? No, but it is a factor to think about during Spring Training. I wouldn't be surprised if that has already been discussed internally with the White Sox. Dayan could have a greater impact on the Sox than Alexei Ramirez did in 2008.

Whatever happens, I wish Joe Crede the best of luck in Minnesota. That is all the luck when he's not playing the White Sox. Another piece of the World Series team is gone.

1 comment:

  1. I wish Crede all the best of luck in Minnesota, too. I'd also like to wish Brian Buscher and Brendan Harris all the best of luck on the bench.

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