Omar Vizquel

It looked like the White Sox signed Vizquel prior to the 2010 season primarily to mentor along their younger middle infielders, but he wound up as their everyday third baseman once Mark Teahen went down with a finger injury. Vizquel didn't do too bad in that spot and he finished the year with a .276 batting average, .341 OBP and 11 steals. That was enough for the Sox to sign him for another year, and he should see time at three infield positions in a reserve role.

Vizquel served as Texas' utility infielder and mentor to Elvis Andrus last year, hitting as well as could be expected, before leaving as a free agent and signing with the White Sox. He'll serve a similar role.

Vizquel finished his final season as a Giant by hitting just .222 with only 13 extra-base hits over 266 at-bats. His OPS dropped for a third straight season, bottoming out at .550 last year. While he's not the Gold Glover he once was, he's still a good shortstop. However, his bat has now become one of the worst in baseball. There might be some team willing to sign him to act as their utility man, but Vizquel's days as a starter are finished.

The end is near for Vizquel, whose .621 OPS ranked as one of the lowest of any position player in baseball last season. The 14 stolen bases were also his lowest total since 2003. While he's still a fine defender, his play in the field has declined as well. For a team rebuilding like the Giants, the offseason one-year, $5.5 million contract agreement made little sense. Vizquel always keeps himself in top shape, but he’ll be 41-years-old in April, so a bounceback year seems unlikely.

At age 39, Vizquel had a career resurgence last season, finishing with his highest OPS (.749) in nearly five years, while also contributing 24 steals on the basepaths. Vizquel's remarkable plate discipline (51:56 K:BB) indicates a precipitous decline isn't likely. He also won his 11th Gold Glove last season, not that he was truly deserving. He keeps himself in great shape and should be reasonably productive for a late-round fantasy pick at shortstop.

Vizquel is a consistent player who manages to maintain his fantasy value by stealing around 20 bases in most seasons. There are few signs of decline in his record, so even at 39, he makes for a decent value in your draft or auction.

Nearing the end of his career, Vizquel recently signed a three-year contract with the Giants. Vizquel may find himself near the top of the order for the Giants next season, after hitting .291 last year with the Indians. Expect Vizquel to be the regular starter at short for the Giants in 2005 and to still turn in his great defensive play for a few more years, although his range numbers indicate that he's clearly lost a step.

Has balky knees, is vastly overpaid but will likely still start at short for the Tribe. At 37, he should be on the downside of his career and will likely be just another guy. Bid accordingly.

Omar rebounded very nicely in 2002 after an awful 2001, reaching career highs in HR (14) and RBI (72). This power spike, as it is, came pretty much out of nowhere and isn't likely to repeat.