Vizquel joins White Sox to provide infield depth

The mundane numbers associated with the White Sox' signing of infielder Omar Vizquel on Monday are that it's a one-year deal worth $1.375 million.

The staggering numbers are the ones the 42-year-old has put up in his 21-year career:

• A .984 career fielding percentage, highest ever among shortstops with at least 1,000 games played.

• Winner of 11 Gold Gloves, behind only Ozzie Smith (13).

• 25th all time in games played, 26th in at-bats, 61st in hits and tied for 73rd in stolen bases.

But perhaps the number most important note for an (at times) defensively challenged Sox team in 2009 was that Vizquel did not commit a single error in 207 chances while playing 27 games at shortstop, 20 at third base and 16 at second base in a utility role with the Texas Rangers.

"Omar is so professional, and he showed that last year when for the first time in his career he did something he's never done in his life," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Not an easy thing to do after being the man at shortstop for some 20 years.

"It was kind of difficult to be on the bench a lot of days without playing, but it gave me a different perspective on the game," Vizquel said.

Guillen is hoping Vizquel can lend some of that perspective to the White Sox' young infielders.

"He's a guy who knows how to play the game, a guy who is going to be a Hall of Famer," Guillen said. "We have a few guys in the infield who could take advantage of that, especially Gordon (Beckham) and (Alexei) Ramirez."

But as for the idea of Vizquel being a player/coach, forget it.

"I don't want him to be a coach; that's the last thing I want," Guillen said. "He's in unbelievable shape. I think I'm going to give him more playing time than he had last year."

As for what Vizquel's signing means for youngsters such as Jayson Nix and Brent Lillibridge -

"It means they have to do what I told them to do at the end of the season," Guillen said. "It depends how many pitchers and catchers we're going to take.

"The one thing about it is Omar cannot play the outfield. Hopefully those two guys make it very, very tough on the coaching staff when it comes to making the ballclub."

There's one final number to consider: No. 13. Vizquel and Guillen have worn it their entire careers.

"I don't think Ozzie's going to give it up," said Vizquel with a laugh, noting that he might try to find out if he can wear either Chico Carrasquel's No. 17 or Luis Aparicio's retired No. 11.

Guillen has another idea.

"He should wear No. 23," Guillen said. "If you wear 23 with the White Sox, that's huge. If you wear 23 in Chicago, it's even bigger."