Two year deals for backup middle infielders are not needed.

We need some inside perspective on how Sox fans feel about this move.

Perhaps for a 43-year old, he’s a good defensive shortstop, but he’s 43 and doesn’t have the range anymore. Vizquel in his prime was one of the best glove men ever. I believe he’s got a decent shot at the HOF. Ozzie Smith made the Hall but didn’t play until his wheels were about to fall off. Vizquel’s a shell of his former self. The way he’s hitting at the end of his career reminds me too much of how poorly Bowa hit for the Cubs in the mid-1980’s. I liked Bowa’s defensive skills back then more than most Cubs fans, but I can’t deny that his range was noticably diminishing. That meant even Bowa’s defense couldn’t keep him in the big leagues.

…I’m going to give Kenny Williams and the White Sox some credit here. As essentially a player/coach, Omar Vizquel could absolutely pay dividends. With Alexei and Beckham projected to be the middle infield next season, a sure-handed veteran to back up both youngsters on the field and in the dugout seems like a pretty shrewd move. And, per this Fangraph article, Vizquel seems to be hanging on to his defensive prowess – though the sample sizes from the last few seasons are rather small.

A couple potential downsides: If the primary reason to sign Vizquel was to help improve Alexei’s defense, it may not have been necessary. In 1293.2 innings of play in ‘09, the Cuban Missile’s UZR numbers were 2.3/2.4 UZR/UZR 150. That’s not spectacular, but it’s better than a league-average replacement. What Alexei really needs help with is his bat – as his wOBA fell from .336 in ’08 to .319 in ’09.

The other downside is simply the risk that either Alexei or Beckham will hit the DL for a prolonged period, leaving Vizquel in the starting lineup. That would essentially transform the Sox into an NL team offensively.

…Would be an upgrade there…