Major League Baseball
ChiSox seal 1-year, $1.375M deal with Vizquel
Major League Baseball

ChiSox seal 1-year, $1.375M deal with Vizquel

Published Nov. 24, 2009 12:32 a.m. ET

The White Sox have signed free-agent shortstop Omar Vizquel to a one-year, $1,375,000 contract.




Vizquel, 42, will serve largely as a backup to shortstop Alexei Ramirez, but also can spell second baseman Gordon Beckham and third baseman Mark Teahen.

"I feel pretty comfortable that I can do the job in the field, that I can still run and hit and do everything that a major league player is asked to do," Vizquel said.

He spent last season with the Rangers in a similar role, appearing in 27 games at short, 20 at third and 16 at second. He hit .266 with one homer and 14 RBIs and had no errors in 207 chances while playing those three positions.

The switch-hitter has 2,704 hits. He is a career .273 hitter with 78 homers, 906 RBIs and 1,378 runs in 2,742 games with Seattle, Cleveland, San Francisco and the Rangers.

The move will unite Vizquel, perhaps the greatest shortstop from Venezuela, with his countryman, White Sox manager — and former shortstop — Ozzie Guillen.

The White Sox's lineage of Venezuelan shortstops goes back even further — all the way to Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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