It appears that it's mostly a numbers game for the White Sox after signing future Hall of Fame infielder Omar Vizquel to a $1.375 million contract.

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New White Sox shortstop Omar Vizquel says he's ready to mentor the young infielders, but Ozzie Guillen says he's going to find plenty of playing time for Vizquel.

The numbers in this case, however, are the numbers that appear on the back of a uniform. Vizquel has worn the No. 13 his entire career -- the same number as Sox manager Ozzie Guillen -- and it appears that Guillen isn't about to give up the number due to its status with marketing and the sale of the manager's uniform number.

Vizquel said in a phone interview on Monday that if he can't wear No. 13, he may ask Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio if he would allow the White Sox to unretire Aparicio's No. 11 and let Vizquel honor him by wearing it in 2010. Chico Carrasquel's No. 17 is also a number Vizquel is considering. Carrasquel was the first of the great shortstops to come out of Venezuela in the early 1950s.

On the playing front, Vizquel was very firm about being ready to perform on the field, as well as be a mentor to the other White Sox infielders.

"I've always been there for young players," Vizquel said. "I look at myself as a mentor. I like to help teammates and I've always done that wherever I've been."

Guillen said that White Sox didn't get Vizquel to coach the younger players. Guillen expects Vizquel to contribute on the field.

"I'm going to find a lot of playing time for him," Guillen said. "I know how much he played in Texas last year. I hope to find more time for him."

Guillen also said Vizquel should think about wearing No. 23. The Sox manager pointed to the fact that Vizquel wore that number in Venezuela playing for Caracas in winter ball.

"In Chicago, 23 is a great number," Guillen said "(Michael) Jordan, (Ryne) Sandberg, Robin Ventura all wore No. 23. It would be an honor for him to wear it."

Guillen also said the team seems pretty well set going into the offseason, except for a leadoff man and a couple of bullpen arms. In a phone conversation on Monday, Guillen seemed more optimistic about the possibility of Scott Podsednik returning to the team as a free agent than recent reports have indicated.

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The Chicago Cubs new ownership has begun to assert itself by blocking off rooftop advertising on a building on Kenmore and Waveland with a plywood backdrop. It will block the current advertisement on the building owned by businessman Tom Gramatis.

The Cubs moved late last week to install plywood that extends 60 feet off the back of the left-center field bleachers. It allows the team to block the Horseshoe Casino advertisement on that building and allows the Cubs to begin to sell their own ads on future billboards in that area.

According to Cubs officials, only two rooftop views will be impeded slightly by this new project.

Team president Crane Kenney said the team is looking into "a tasteful, non-obstructive way to look at advertising."

Both the sign on the Gramatis building and the Miller Lite sign in right field, formerly known as the Torco sign, were grandfathered in during negotiations with rooftop owners. In other words, both areas had continuous advertising long before even the Tribune Company owned the team.

The Cubs are talking to certain high-profile companies about buying advertising in this newly created space.

The Cubs receive 17 percent of the gross sales from rooftop partners. The city slaps on a nine-percent amusement tax on the rooftop sales.

The Gramatis building used to have a Budweiser sign affixed to it before Gramatis covered it up due to what he said was non-payment for the advertising space.

Gramatis made an agreement with the Horseshoe Casino of Hammond, Ind., which had rebuffed the Cubs' attempts to get them to advertise within Wrigley Field.

Rooftop owners, as part of their agreement with the Cubs, can only advertise their Web sites for sales purposes on their buildings. No other advertising is allowed.

If the Ricketts family doesn't feel the new 60-foot structure fits into the culture of their famed ballpark, it will have the right to remove the temporary sign.

The Cubs are hoping not to have a problem with the landmark authority. Wrigley is registered as a history landmark. Any changes to the exterior of the park must be approved by the landmark authority.

The Cubs believe since the sign is temporary, they are entitled to extend the billboard above the bleachers.

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On Monday the Chicago Cubs will announce Wally Hayward as their new chief of sales and marketing director. Hayward, 41, was most recently a senior advisor for Chicago 2016, the group responsible for raising funds for Chicago's Olympics bid. Through Hayward's efforts the group was able to raise $1.7 billion for that venture.

In 2001 Hayward founded Relay Worldwide, an advertising company that began with 12 people and eventually employed 130. An announcement by the Cubs should come later this morning.

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The Cubs and Toronto first talked trade in early October. Among the many names that were mentioned was star pitcher Roy Halladay. Halladay, going into the last year of his contract before becoming a free agent, will be shopped extensively by the Blue Jays during this offseason. The one caveat is that Halladay has a complete no-trade clause, which allows him to stop any type of deal unless he first approves.

Among the names that the Cubs and Blue Jays talked about was Vernon Wells in the original scuttlebutt that got out about a possible Milton Bradley-for-Wells deal. Toronto also talked to the Cubs about Lyle Overbay; another contract the Blue Jays would like to rid themselves of. Actually, Toronto has talked to many teams about the big contracts they have committed to Wells, Overbay and Halladay. Toronto is trying to go young and free themselves of the heavy payroll load that they are committed to at this point.

As far as Halladay and the Cubs, it doesn't look good for the North Siders to be able to come up with the kind of money it would take to take on his contract. The most feasible situation would be to trade Carlos Zambrano and at least one of the top young prospects in the system like Starlin Castro, or Josh Vitters, in any deal that would make sense for both sides. The problem with that type of trade is two-fold: One, Zambrano has a full no-trade clause, and two, trading the team's top future prospect at shortstop by moving Castro would be counter-productive to what the team is looking forward to in years to come.

Halladay will most likely be traded in the offseason, but trading him to the Cubs is a real long shot. First and foremost, general manager Jim Hendry has to move Milton Bradley's contract. The most logical team still remains to be the Tampa Rays, who are hoping to include Pat Burrell in the deal. For the Cubs, that would mean that they would have to complete that trade, eat some money on Bradley's contract, and then trade Burrell.

The Cubs already have a long-term commitment (five years) to a left fielder who is below average defensively and strikes out too much. Therefore, it will be imperative for Hendry to move Burrell's contract before the season begins.

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For all of you who read baseball blogs religiously, there's no truth to the rumor about a three-way deal involving the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets at this point.

Although some of these teams talked to each other at last week's general managers meetings, there's absolutely no deal on the table or anything being talked about as far as a threeway trade right now.

Texas and the Cubs have not talked for a week.

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After signing a two year, $7.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs on Friday, a happy John Grabow admitted that the first and only team he wanted to pitch for was the North Siders.

Asked about the pressure of trying to win their first World Series in over a century, Grabow said he understood the mentality.

"It's a big-market city," Grabow said. "There are players making a lot of money, and with that comes a lot of expectations.

"But as long as guys know what their roles and put the work in, that's all you can ask of guys."

Grabow admitted he had some issues with bone chips in his left elbow over his career.

"I've had bone chips in my elbow for three years now," he said. "if you look at [veteran] pitchers, they usually have something going on in their shoulder or elbow. Throwing a baseball for all those years takes its toll. You learn to manage it.

"I've got a routine I do before the game starts to prepare my arm to pitch that day, and thank God it hasn't been an issue over the last two years."

According to some of my sources close to Grabow, the Pirates were wiling to bring him back with an offer of three years, $12 million.

"We thought Chicago was a really good fit," Grabow said. "The coaching staff and the font office really took me in, as did all the players. So it was kind of a no-brainer."

Grabow will be the veteran the young Cubs pitchers look to in 2010.

"We did have a lot of young players learning how to pitch in the big leagues," he said. "I tried to let them know how to prepare themselves to pitch in 70 to 80 games a year. You have to be with the guys through the ups and downs of the season. Baseball seasons will bring you down to your knees, more than once every year. You have to be tough mentally, and that's something I think I can help this team with the young guys."

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Offseason money issues are even affecting big-market teams such as the Chicago Cubs.

With a projected $140 million payroll, general manager Jim Hendry was in a position where he had to move peripheral arbitration-eligible players in order to find money for veterans such as reliever John Grabow, who is expected to sign a two-year, $7.5 million contract by the end of the weekend.

Hendry moved veteran right-hander Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two minor-leaguers. Heilman made $1.6 million in 2009 and was on schedule to make at least $2.2 million in arbitration for the 2010 season.

"The way our big-league club sets up, we have a lot of arbitration-eligible guys," Hendry said. "We needed to move some payroll a little bit. We always liked Aaron Heilman, even back in his days with the Mets, but we believe we have some young arms that can take his place in that part of the bullpen."

Hendry must pony up raises to closer Carlos Marmol and shortstop Ryan Theriot, two of the five arbitration-eligible players on the Cubs. Theriot and Marmol will probably be in the $2-3 million area. Another arbitration-eligible player, infielder Mike Fontenot, may not make it to arbitration with the Cubs because of money constraints. The team could trade or non-tender Fontenot.

It would not be incorrect to say that some of the money saved in the Heilman trade will go toward Grabow's contract, which will increase about $1 million a year.

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Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and his siblings enjoyed their first get-together with the other 29 owners as they were toasted in festivities on Wednesday night and Thursday during Major League Baseball owners' quarterly meetings.

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AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Tom Ricketts said more trips have to be made before he decides on a spring training site.

"It was very interesting," Ricketts said. "We're just new, so we just have to learn to listen as well as get to know people and just be part of the organization."

Ricketts was asked of his impression of MLB's economy.

"I'm not going to make any predictions on the economy," Ricketts said. "I think we're doing OK as a team."

I asked both Ricketts and commissioner Bud Selig of the feasibility of the team getting the 2014 All-Star Game. The Cubs have petitioned the commissioner's office to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Wrigley field.

"No discussions on that," Ricketts said.

Selig also was evasive on the issue.

"I've got to do 2012, and then we'll get to '13 and '14," he said. "There's a long, long list of people. We have a lot of clubs that built new stadiums, and we made a lot of promises to cities, that if they build a new stadium, they'll get an All-Star Game. We have to live up to that."

Selig is well ware of the 100th anniversary of Wrigley, as well as the team's plans to put $200 million to $300 million into the park.

Ricketts was asked a number of other questions, including him playing air guitar at a rock concert recently in the audience.

"I was at a Roger Daltry show," he said. "I don't know about air guitar."

I asked him about the meetings themselves.

"[MLB] is a really good organization," he said. "They gave a lot of good presentations. We're just going to try to learn everything we can and be good owners."

Asked about spring training: "It's still in research. I imagine there's a lot more trips before we make a decision. Just doing research to figure out what's best. I'm not sure of the time line on it."

On his first organizational meetings a few weeks ago: "Yeah, it was fun to watch. They have a process. It was good to learn the process. Things were pretty thorough. They're smart guys. Their progress seems to be tangible."

Before the meetings ended, Selig reiterated that he's happy to have local family ownership in Chicago.

"To have a family like this family and they're really, really fans ... Tom and I have had many conversations, the family is really into this thing," Selig said. "It's a tremendous situation. I said today in our meetings we had a long journey with a very happy ending."

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Free agent pitcher John Grabow and the Chicago Cubs are close to agreeing on a two-year contract worth nearly $7.5 million for the left-handed pitcher.

Grabow, who was traded to the Cubs last summer from Pittsburgh, will be the North Siders' primary set-up man from the left side before Cubs manager Lou Piniella goes to new closer Carlos Marmol.

A source with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal should be done by Thursday. Friday is Nov. 20, the date that free agents can begin negotiating with other teams on money and years. Until Friday, only teams that have pending free agents of their own can talk contract language.

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It will be a night of salutations and congratulations for the Ricketts family, who will be welcomed by the other 29 owners and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig at a private dinner on Wednesday.

The family will also have their day in the sun at a general owners meeting Thursday at the O'Hare Hilton.

"You know what I tell new owners?" Selig said. "You'll get a standing ovation when you walk in, and that's the last standing ovation you'll get from this group. And over the last 10 years, it's worked out that way every time."

Selig said he was impressed with new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts' first news conference on Oct. 30.

"That was really, really good," Selig said. "You know, Tom Ricketts met his wife in the bleachers at Wrigley. He's obviously going to be the face of the Cubs. I like the way [the family] started out. They started out beautifully."

Selig continued his admiration for the Ricketts and their purchase of the Cubs.

"I've always said local ownership was great and they're here [in Chicago]," Selig said. "I'm very happy. It didn't work out as expeditiously as I would have liked it to, to say the least, but it worked out very well."

I asked the commissioner what the $845 million selling price does for the other 29 teams in baseball.

"Well, every franchise is different," Selig said. "Asset values are very important to the [owners]. The Cubs are a very, very unique franchise. I'm not saying it because I'm here in Chicago. But Wrigley Field, the Cubs and everything -- it's one of our great franchises."

Selig said he likes the idea of family ownership and hopes that it's a trend that continues in baseball.

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos welcomed the Ricketts with open arms.

"The Cubs are a special team," Angelos said. "I wouldn't necessarily say all the franchises are worth more across the board because of their purchase, but it was a satisfactory price, for sure."

Angelos applauded the Cubs' local ownership.

"They are a home group," he said. "It's really good for baseball, of course. But the team has always had ownership by Chicago interests. I really think they'll be a great ownership. I just hope they can win the World Series one day."

Selig shared some views on other hot topics in baseball. He said his main goal for next year is to tighten up the postseason schedule. He wasn't ready to go on the record to say what he was going to do, but you can assume there will be less off days built into the three rounds of playoffs.

Selig, who has opposed expansion of instant replay in the past, is remaining open-minded about the topic.

"I'm going to talk to a lot of people about it," Selig said. "I haven't changed my views at all. I've talked to a lot of managers and general managers, and actually I've invited the general managers to our owners meetings in January."

Selig is open-minded about replay, but firm in his conviction that it shouldn't be expanded beyond boundary calls.

"It's a subject that will continue to come up, and I'm certainly willing to talk about it," Selig said.

Translation: Don't expect replay to be expanded any time in the near future.

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