Posted by Brian Joseph on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 1:30 pm

The Minnesota Twins strengthened their own lineup and weakened a division opponent’s in the process with the signing of third baseman Joe Crede to a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.5 million and incentives which could boost the contract to $7 million.

Crede, 30, missed time in the second half of the season with the White Sox due to back troubles and has had two surgeries on his back in the last two seasons. He hit .248 with 17 homers and 55 RBI in 97 games with Chicago in ‘08.

Crede was a fifth round draft choice of the White Sox in 1996 and played his entire career in the organization. He made his first All-Star appearance last season and was a member of the 2005 club that won the World Series.

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34-year-old Kris Benson reached a Minor League deal with the Texas Rangers. The deal gives Benson an opportunity to make the club and also provides him the flexibility to become a free agent on May 5 if he is not a member of the Major League club.

Benson has not pitched in the Majors since 2006 after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff wiped out his 2007 season. He spent most of the 2008 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization where he went 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA before being released on August 30.

Since being the first overall selection in the 1996 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Benson has posted a 68-73 record with a 4.34 ERA in 195 career starts with the Pirates, New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.

Benson received a lot of attention following his trade from the Mets to the Orioles before the 2006 season. Benson asserted the team dealt him due to the behavior of his wife, Anna. Anna briefly filed for divorce before the start of the ‘06 season but the impulsive beauty who once went on the Howard Stern Show and stated she would have sex with every member of the Mets organization should she learn her husband ever had an affair reconsidered.