Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com is reporting that the Chicago White Sox and shortstop Omar Vizquel are very close to a deal.
This does not surprise me in the slightest. Vizquel still has a great glove even though he is definitely up there in years. He would be a great backup for shortstop Alexei Ramirez and second basemen Gordon Beckham up the middle. Throughout Kenny Williams tenure with the White Sox, he has had an infatuation with reuniting the Indians’ teams of the 90s. These players include Bartolo Colon, Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar, Sandy Alomar Jr. and now potentially Omar Vizquel. It sounds like the contract will be for about $1 million. Maybe this is just what Alexei Ramirez needs to get his head in the game and focus on the finer aspects of the game, like properly throwing the ball to first base.
Vizquel was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in 1984 and made his major league debut on April 3, 1989. He played for the Mariners from 1989-1993, the Cleveland Indians from 1994-2004, the San Francisco Giants from 2005-2008 and the Texas Rangers in 2009. He also played in Venezuela with the Leones del Caracas.
This would be a solid move for the White Sox since it is obvious that Vizquel would be there only as a defensive replacement. It would give Manager Ozzie Guillen a reliable defensive cushion for those days Alexei Ramirez forgets how to use his glove. Plus, I know Guillen just gushes over Vizquel which in some ways worries me. Guillen has a tendency to fall in love with a player and only look a them through “rose colored” glasses. The big question is what number Vizquel would wear since his customary 13 is synonymous with Ozzie on the south side of the Chicago.
