Twins Owner Still Wants Joe Crede

Minnesota's interest in Joe Crede has been known for quite some time, but the reason why the two sides have yet to agree on a contract is because Crede refuses to take a pay cut.

Crede earned $5.1 million last year, and he wants to make at least that much in 2009 -- with incentives that will pay him even more should he avoid the disabled list.

The Twins like him, but not at that price. And can you blame them? He's appeared in just 144 games the last two seasons combined, and let's be realistic, back injuries don't often completely disappear. Scott Boras claims his client is 100 percent healthy and ready for spring training -- and more importantly, not intimidated in the least by Minnesota's artificial surface. The Twins, apparently, are less convinced.

All isn't completely lost, though; even if Crede can't get his full asking price, it doesn't hurt that owner and CEO Jim Pohlad (ie, the man who signs the checks) is a fan. During an hour-long meeting with the press earlier today, Pohlad tipped his hand that the team is not only still looking at free agents but also still interested in Crede. From La Velle Neal of the Star-Tribune:

"We're not done. The season hasn't started yet," Pohlad said. "Frequently, transactions do occur during spring training so it still could happen. There's nothing from us that's saying, `We're done. Go into the season and keep you fingers crossed.'

[...] But Pohlad revealed the fan in him when asked if signing free agent third baseman Joe Crede made sense.

"It does to me," he said, drawing some chuckles.

Pohlad did point out that Crede's health must be monitored, and Twins president Dave St. Peter, who also was at the meeting, jumped in to add, "It's a process."

Take that for what you will. The Twins have been extremely quiet thus far in the offseason, but there are obviously bargains to be had given the number of unsigned free agents still on the market. Considering pitchers and catchers will report in a week, expect a lot of these guys (Crede included) to start caving soon.