Perhaps Joe Crede is Still Employed by the White Sox

There's no other rational explanation for why Crede and Scott Boras, his agent, refuse to accept anything less than a $7 million base salary and an added $4 million in incentives for Crede to sign on anywhere in 2009. Are these guys serious? Do they have no concept of the current market for baseball teams? Manny Ramirez is still unemployed. Ditto for Orlando Hudson. Bobby Abreu had to settle for a 1-year, $5 million deal with the Angels and, unlike Crede, has been healthy and productive the last few seasons.

Therefore, the only thing I can come up with is the Sox are shrewdly paying Joe under the table to temptingly dangle his services to the Twins, but never sign on the dotted line. I mean, if he's as healthy as Boras claims, Crede is just what the doctored ordered for the Twins. He's not that old. He's an everyday third baseman and he's got some pop left in his bat. Yet, despite the fact he's a career .219 hitter in the Metrodome and he's only played in 144 games the past two years due to back problems, he's not accepting anything less than a contract that will make him, at least, the Twins' third highest paid player.

Some locals already know signing Crede would be a roll of the dice, and don't blame the Twins for not giving in to his ludicrous salary demands, but they keep sending scouts to watch his workout and batting practice sessions. You just have to know they know how much a healthy Crede would help their team, and yet, they can't come to an agreement. I don't know if stalled negotiations like this have any effect on a clubhouse or team morale, but it's still hilarious to sit back and watch the drama unfold as the immovably thrifty Twins collide with the unstoppably overpriced Crede.