Joe Crede

[membengal]

The White Sox have been show-casing him for some time now. He appears beyond his back issues. He's a legit right-handed stick and plays 3b.

Just a thought.

I know he'd be an injury risk. But if healthy, he's solid.

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by membengal

The White Sox have been show-casing him for some time now. He appears beyond his back issues. He's a legit right-handed stick and plays 3b.

Just a thought.

I know he'd be an injury risk. But if healthy, he's solid.

I'm not ready to give up on EdE.

[Joseph]

Expensive.

Now if we can get Fields from them, thats another story.

[Cyclone792]

Crede makes too many outs and is an overall below average hitter with a career OPS+ of 93 in 708 games. Of his four full seasons, only one (2006) saw him post an OPS+ over 100.

[redsmetz]

I'm not advocating this, and Crede will be 30 later this month, as surprising as that is. But from a personal standpoint, he's from my wife's hometown, Jefferson City, MO and last summer when we were out there, I was yacking with my wife's cousin after mass. She said hello to a guy walking by heading into the next mass and then she whispered to me, "that's Joe Crede's dad".

[RedsManRick]

Yes. Let's trade for an older, injury-prone, worse hitting 3B. That will accomplish something.

.260/.306/.448
.269/.348/.445

Crede's bat is like EE's without the walks and with a little less contact. Sigh...

[membengal]

So that's a "no" from everyone then?

I wasn't necessarily advocating dealing EE for him. But was thinking that, worst case scenario, he could play in the short-term, give EE some time to find his stroke, and deepen our bench with RH power from whoever sits between him and EE.

And, while it is always fun to pooh-pooh with dismissive stats, I know, I also note that prior to the back issue (which I acknowledged in the initial post) which cost him 2007, he went .283/.322/.505 in 2006 with 30 homeruns and 94 rbi. As much as I like EE, and I do like EE, it is not like we have yet seen from him an indication that he himself will ever get to those numbers.

Just sayin'.

Also, Crede appears fully recovered, and has started the year with a .419 OBP in 28 at-bats with two early homeruns. 10 rbi to boot. Slugging over .600. So, it's not like he's a stiff.

My thought is this:

At some point, this team may need to hedge its bets with regard to EE. And with regard to not having a RH stick worth a darn available off the bench.

So, while being dismissive is, I understand, awfully fun, I re-submit that it ignores whether this team ought to be active in trying to get a fallback at 3b, and improve the overall depth of the team.

But thanks for the thoughtful responses.

[Rojo]

Originally Posted by membengal

At some point, this team may need to hedge its bets with regard to EE. And with regard to not having a RH stick worth a darn available off the bench.

Keppinger.

[reds44]

No, I'm not ready to give up on Edwin yet and I don't really think much of Crede.

Edwin (Age 25): .271/.349/.449
Crede (30 by the end of April, free agent after this year): .260/.306/.450

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by membengal

So that's a "no" from everyone then?

I wasn't necessarily advocating dealing EE for him. But was thinking that, worst case scenario, he could play in the short-term, give EE some time to find his stroke, and deepen our bench with RH power from whoever sits between him and EE.

And, while it is always fun to pooh-pooh with dismissive stats, I know, I also note that prior to the back issue (which I acknowledged in the initial post) which cost him 2007, he went .283/.322/.505 in 2006 with 30 homeruns and 94 rbi. As much as I like EE, and I do like EE, it is not like we have yet seen from him an indication that he himself will ever get to those numbers.

Just sayin'.

Also, Crede appears fully recovered, and has started the year with a .419 OBP in 28 at-bats with two early homeruns. 10 rbi to boot. Slugging over .600. So, it's not like he's a stiff.

My thought is this:

At some point, this team may need to hedge its bets with regard to EE. And with regard to not having a RH stick worth a darn available off the bench.

So, while being dismissive is, I understand, awfully fun, I re-submit that it ignores whether this team ought to be active in trying to get a fallback at 3b, and improve the overall depth of the team.

But thanks for the thoughtful responses.

I hear what you're saying about EE, I have many of the same questions about whether he can do it consistently over a whole season. But I don't think Crede is the answer.

True, a couple of years ago he'd have been a perfect fit in GABP. But from all of the reports I read from the spring regarding him, he still seemed to be having problems with his back. Now, maybe that was just your general spring soreness seeing as how he hadn't played in just about a year. But I still wouldn't trust a bad back for a 30 year old 3b.

[membengal]

Another home run (slam to boot) from Crede yesterday.

If not Crede, then someone else. But the glaring hole in this offense from the right side MUST be addressed by management. And soon.

I love Kepp, but if it were me, he'd stay at SS and the Reds would get a RH power-type stick to put at 3b to hedge their bets against EE continuing to struggle. I still submit Crede could work for this team. And he would be ideal for GABP.

ETA: Stats so far for 2008 (small sample size, of course, and duly noted):

.333/.378/.707 4 HR/15 rbi/4 BBs 7 runs in 41 at-bats

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by membengal

Another home run (slam to boot) from Crede yesterday.

If not Crede, then someone else. But the glaring hole in this offense from the right side MUST be addressed by management. And soon.

I love Kepp, but if it were me, he'd stay at SS and the Reds would get a RH power-type stick to put at 3b to hedge their bets against EE continuing to struggle. I still submit Crede could work for this team. And he would be ideal for GABP.

ETA: Stats so far for 2008 (small sample size, of course, and duly noted):

.333/.378/.707 4 HR/15 rbi/4 BBs 7 runs in 41 at-bats

EE is much better than Crede.

If you don't think so, see if the White Sox would jump on a Crede/EE deal.

It would take tham about 1 second.

[membengal]

I don't think I agree with that. Not with Josh Fields waiting for them to move Crede to get him a spot.

ETA: And, I don't think I agree that EE is much better than Crede. Not at this point, I sure don't.

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

EE is much better than Crede.

If you don't think so, see if the White Sox would jump on a Crede/EE deal.

It would take tham about 1 second.

agreed.

This thread is kind of pointless. It would take Belisle (at least) to pry away Crede, and what would we even use him for? To play 3B for two weeks until EE starts hitting again? Pass.

[membengal]

The Reds could use him in place of EE, and, IF ee ever starts hitting, Crede is RH thump off the bench, something this team sorely lacks.

Seriously, where are people suggesting we go for RH thump at this point for the bench? Who are you all suggesting we get?

Someone like Crede, if healthy, answers a lot of questions for this team. Heck, EE could go platoon at 1b if need be, if he has begun hitting, to get him and Crede in the line-up against RHers.

Long-timers here will remember I have long been a major proponent of EE, and giving EE plenty of time to become what we all have hoped he will be. Well, time is starting to pass, and he has not become that. At this point, I am not sure what he has become. Until he actually starts to, um, "hit", threads like this are far from pointless. I tend to roll my eyes at blanket assertions that certain players are "favored" on this board, but EE definitely gets a much freer pass than he perhaps should.

I see nothing in his play, to this point, to make me feel comfortable with all of this team's offensive eggs being placed in his basket. And, as lefty dominant as this team is, that is in essence what the Reds have done. They have placed all of their eggs, against lefties, in EE's basket. And it is a dangerous place to be, IMO, with no fall-back plans.

Crede (or someone like him) represents a fall-back plan. I guess I don't understand the calling for something to fix what ails the Reds and then the push-back against suggestions that try and address the weaknesses in this team...