Is Lance Berkman on the A's radar? (Photo Courtesy of yardbarker.com)

It’s holiday season! The Oakland A’s, who finished behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West with an 81-81 record, should be relatively busy this holiday season as they try to upgrade their offense.

This season, the A’s ranked 23rd in runs (663), 17th in average (.256), 16th in OBP (.324), 26th in SLG (.378), and 21st in OPS (.702). The team hit 109 home runs (28th), and had just one player with more than 15 home runs. 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff had 16 for the year. The A’s offensively, did not pack much of a punch.

It goes without saying then, that the A’s have a lot of shopping to do this winter. Now, the A’s could address their offensive woes through trade as well, but remember they’ve got a little money to spend this winter. It would be a shame to let money go to waste.

The A’s made headlines when they won the negotiating rights to Japanese pitcher, Hisashi Iwakuma for a hefty price of about $18-19 million. Pitching should be a strength for the A’s next season, but adding a pitcher like Iwakuma could really solidify an already solid starting rotation.

Unfortunately, however, the A’s and Iwakuma are currently at odds with each other. The A’s reportedly offered Iwakuma a deal worth about $15 million over four years, but Iwakuma’s agent is (reportedly) pushing for a Barry Zito-type deal, but without all those years attached to it. Zito signed with the Giants for a $126 million contract over seven years.

So for now, it seems unlikely that the A’s will be able to land Iwakuma. If so, the A’s would get their $18-19 posting fee returned, and they could use the money to address their offensive situation.

The A’s have had a relatively busy offseason thus far, but guys like OF David DeJesus and 3B Edwin Encarnacion hardly seem like impact additions that can take the team to next level. An ‘A’ for effort, Billy Beane, but there’s still much more to do.

The A’s need power. That’s obvious. How they’ll obtain it, however, is less obvious. The A’s are not on most free agents’ preferred destinations list, so it makes it a little difficult to sway a player to come to Oakland, and the almost ghostly Coliseum.

The A’s have reportedly made an attempt to try and sign free agent 3B Adrian Beltre, who was on the A’s radar last offseason. The offer of $64 million over five years have been neither confirmed nor denied. If it is true, Beltre’s agent, Scott Boras, will probably not accept it. According to FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, Boras claims that he’s never had this much interest in a player (talking about Beltre).

Aside from Belte, here are a few other players who could help the A’s out next season, if they should find their way to Oakland (not in any particular order):  (more…)

The A's have pitching, but this offseason the team will need to focus on adding a bat or two to their offense. (Photo: Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

With the regular season coming to a close for the Oakland A’s, it seems like an ideal time to look ahead at the 2011 campaign and what this off-season holds in store for the A’s. This season, while filled with its opportunities, was not Oakland’s year. The Texas Rangers, a team with a great offense and a surprisingly effective rotation, played exceptional baseball in the second-half of the season. The A’s, while they displayed incredible growth and maturation, did not get much production out of their offense this season.

The A’s, who spent money on players like Coco Crisp and Ben Sheets this off-season, did not see their investments pay big dividends.  Instead, both Crisp and Sheets wound up spending a majority of this season on the disabled-list. In 75 games this season, Crisp hit .279/.342/.438 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs. While those numbers seem solid, they’re hardly worthy of a $5 million contract. The Sheets deal, which was even more questionable, was a complete flop. The A’s invested $10 million in the pitcher, and only got 20 starts and a 4-9 record in return. Sheets underwent yet another surgery, and will likely miss the entire 2011 season. It has been said that Sheets is possibly mulling retirement.

So, naturally, the A’s might be a little hesitant about spending some money this off-season. Or at least according to the SF Gate’s recent interview with A’s Owner, Lew Wolff. In the conversation between the Gate and Wolff, Wolff does not seem particularly motivated to spend much money this winter. The A’s are said to have at least $20 million coming off the books next season, as both Eric Chavez and Ben Sheets ($12.5 million and $10 million respectively) will be coming off Oakland’s payroll. The A’s do have an option with Chavez, for $12.5 million, but are almost certain to buyout the option for $3 million. The A’s also have options for Mark Ellis, who has played exceptionally well recently, and Coco Crisp, who is out for the year with a broken finger.

Ellis, who is hitting .289/.357/.372 with 4 homers and 44 RBIs, has an option for $6 million. The A’s are reported to meet with Ellis after the season ends. As for Crisp, the team should meet with him as well, since the outfielder has expressed an interest in coming back to the team next season.

If the A’s can add a bat or two this off-season, the team could easily (barring any injuries) make a run at the Rangers next season. The A’s young pitching staff seems to be finally coming into its own, and the defense behind it hasn’t been all that bad either. The only thing holding this team back is their lack of offense. If Lew Wolff wants a winner, he’s going to have to take a gamble this off-season. So SPEND SOME MONEY, Wolff!

Is Chavez coming back this season? (Photo: Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

With this year just about over, the A’s are trying to finish the year on a strong note. They won’t be able to do that, however, if they can’t manage to stay healthy. The A’s received another injury scare on Friday, when young ace Brett Anderson literally fell down during his delivery in the A’s-Rangers game. The A’s youngster, who signed a four-year extension earlier this season in April, has been on the disabled-list twice this season. The A’s feel that the youngster will be their ace for many years to come—as long as he manages to stay healthy, that is. This season Anderson has made just 12 starts, and has gone 3-5 with a 3.32 ERA in those starts.

While he seemed to injury his knee on the play, Anderson says that he expects to make his next start on the road in Yankee Stadium. He will, however, have to complete a bullpen session on Monday first before getting the green light.

In other A’s related news, Trevor Cahill improved to 14-5, and has really put together an impressive season—so impressive, it’s almost Cy Young worthy. Unfortunately for Cahill, however, he plays for the A’s. And as most of you know, the A’s aren’t exactly the most popular club out there. It’s definitely a shame that Cahill doesn’t get recognized for his impressive numbers this year.

The A’s are expected to meet with Eric Chavez, who plans to rejoin the team next week once they come back home to Oakland. The A’s Gold Glover hopes to play this season, but does not wish to be a distraction. Chavez, who has been limited over the past four or so seasons, has been out since May with two bulging disks in his neck. In 33 games this season, Chavez hit just .234/.276/.333 with one home run and 10 RBIs. The A’s front office plans to hold a meeting with Chavez, and will most likely discuss the slugger’s future for this season and next year. It’s pretty much certain that the A’s will not pick up Chavez’s $12.5 million option for next year.

A’s manager, Bob Geren, says he plans to stick with Jack Cust in the lineup since the slugger has hit .417 so far on this road-trip (5-for-12).

Other News (after the jump)