Omar Vizquel to the South Side?

According to this article on ESPNChicago.com, the Sox are in negotiations with Vizquel's agent to bring the 42-year-old shortstop to the South Side. Their plans are to use him as a backup infielder to Alexei Ramirez.

When I first heard about this rumored deal, I was against it. I was thinking "how could they spend money on this guy to just ride the bench when they could have used the same money to acquire a DH?" However, the more I look at this possible deal, the more I like it. Vizquel will probably sign a one year deal with the Sox at a bargain-basement price (my guess is anywhere between $1-$3 million dollars), and he will be a great mentor to Alexei at short. Plus, the language barrier that might have been a problem between Alexei and Beckham in the middle infield will likely be alleviated with Vizquel's presence. Even though Ozzie Guillen was a pretty solid infielder himself, he has many other things he needs to focus on as a manager, and he can't give 100 percent of his attention to the infield. Vizquel's presence, however, can make him a de facto player/coach, and that would help Ozzie out tremendously.

Vizquel could also serve as a late-inning defensive replacement at short, which would strengthen the team's defense in the infield even more. It would also give the team a bit of insurance if something were to happen to Alexei or Beckham. It would also give the Sox a nice little bit of history, as well. The Sox have a proud tradition of fielding outstanding Venezuelan shortstops (Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Ozzie Guillen), and acquiring Vizquel would just be another addition to that legacy. I know that should not be the reason why you sign somebody, but it's still cool to think about, isn't it?

To sum things up, if Vizquel can be had for the right price (i.e. cheap), then I like this move. My hope is that this won't hamper their chances of going after a DH this offseason, though. If that is the case, then I won't like this move. Besides, the last thing I want to hear is Kenny Williams crying poor, saying that he "doesn't have the money in the budget to go after anybody else."