CHICAGO -- Joe Crede officially stayed in the White Sox fold, agreeing to a one-year, $5.1 million deal on Thursday night. The new contract allows the third baseman to earn an additional $300,000 in bonuses.

While the White Sox avoided their only possible arbitration situation via this signing, Crede's status with the team remains tenuous at best. Crede, 29, and Josh Fields, a 25-year-old embarking on his first full Major League season, both are vying for one open position in the starting lineup.

General manager Ken Williams mentioned early on in the offseason how the left field experiment with Fields had come to a close, following his 21 appearances at this particular position in 2007. Williams added how a decision between the two had been made by the organization when questioned at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, but that decision has not been revealed.

Crede figures to be the man on the move. His salary jumped marginally from a one-year, $4.94 million deal in 2007, after Crede hit .216 over just 47 games due to in-season surgery performed on his chronically painful back. Crede finished with four home runs and 22 RBIs, after winning the American League Silver Slugger award in 2006 when he set career highs with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs.

Despite Crede's season-ending injury, Williams approached his third baseman and Scott Boras, Crede's agent, concerning the possibility of a multiyear deal in 2007. Williams explained that he was told that Crede preferred to play out 2008 on a one-year deal and then approach a new contract.

Interested teams might wait until Spring Training to make a move on Crede, arguably one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and an up-and-coming power hitter when healthy. Crede's present recovery is on schedule to have him ready for action by the time he arrives in Tucson.

Fields will not be used in a reserve role, if Crede stays in the White Sox plans and holds on to the job at third. But the decision might have actually been made at the end of the 2007 season, when manager Ozzie Guillen and bench coach Joey Cora told Fields to focus on playing third base during the offseason.

"Personally, I liked knowing the decision," Fields told MLB.com before the conclusion of 2007. "I knew the direction they wanted me to go. Even if it's icing outside, I know I can go to an indoor facility and take ground balls."

After joining the White Sox on June 6, Fields hit .244 with an American League-best 23 home runs among rookies. Fields also struck out 125 times over 373 at-bats and remains a work in progress defensively at third base.

"Coming back and playing at third the last couple of games, I learned something just playing there for a week or something," added Fields, who either will start at third base for the White Sox in 2008 or for Triple-A Charlotte.