Apr 24, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Eric Chavez (12) at bat during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. Texas won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The chances of the A’s bringing back veteran infielder Eric Chavez seem very slim, but Billy Beane and the rest of Oakland’s front office have done crazier things.

Chavez, who turns 35 next month, played solid baseball in New York this past season, hitting .281/.348/.496 with 16 HR and 37 RBI. The numbers are not entirely jaw-dropping, but for a guy who has seen a lot of time on the bench due to injuries the numbers are solid.

He went hit-less in the postseason for New York going 0-for-16 with 8 strikeouts, but still Chavy provided the Yankees with much needed depth over the course of the season.

He filled in for Alex Rodriguez and provided the Yankees with some pop for a relatively low cost. Considering the way he performed this past season, though, Chavez is expected to make more than the $900,000 the Yankees gave him last offseason.

The question becomes whether or not Chavez would be out of Oakland’s price range. Then again, would the A’s even want Chavez back in the green-and-gold? Would Chavez welcome the idea of returning to the place where he started his career? Hmm. That’s more than one question, I guess.

The A’s have a few questions regarding the state of their infield, but third base seems to belong to Josh Donaldson in 2013. Beane and the A’s have seemingly put their confidence in Donaldson, who hit .241/.289/.398 with 9 HR and 33 RBI in 75 games for Oakland.

Oakland also has added depth with Scott Sizemore, who is also a fit at third. He’s also a fit at second base if the A’s lose their faith in Jemile Weeks‘ ability to hold down that position.

Should the A’s need extra help, however, signing Chavez to a one-year deal does, in some ways, makes sense. He’s a six-time Gold Glove winner and is still a popular figure among the front office.

He would provide a good source of veteran leadership and from what we all saw from Jonny Gomes, veteran leadership does make a difference in a young clubhouse like Oakland’s.

Along with his defense and leadership skills, Chavez still has some power in his stroke. For the suddenly homer-happy A’s offense, adding a healthy Chavez to the team’s arsenal could make Oakland’s offense even stronger.

Having Chavez come off the bench to pinch-hit, play third or first base occasionally, or even DH isn’t a bad idea if you’re the A’s. His health is always a question, but this past season in New York Chavez was relatively healthy and effective in a reduced role. For the first time since 2008, Chavez produced a positive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 1.5 this past year.

In the end it will come down to whether or not either side wants a reunion. The A’s seem to have enough depth to pass on Chavez’s services and after a solid season in New York, Chavez is expected to garner enough interest from other clubs.

It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t count on it either.

Can Brandon Inge bring some consistency to third-base? Photo: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The A’s have not had a productive third baseman for what feels like an eternity now, but newly acquired Brandon Inge may change that. The A’s are hoping that Inge, who was released by the Tigers in April, can provide some level of stability at a position that has been razor thin for the organization.

Inge, 34, wasn’t producing much in Detroit, but a change of scenery could help solve some of Inge’s struggles. In 8 games so far with the Athletics, Inge is hitting .219/.297/.469 with two home runs and nine RBI. While he likely won’t hit for a high average—he’s a .234 career hitter—Inge could provide some much needed stability at third base for Oakland.

His walk-off grand-slam on Tuesday night was fantastic. It is exactly what the A’s need going forward at third base. The A’s tried going with  Eric Sogard and Josh Donaldson at third, but that experiment just didn’t work. The Inge experiment, however, could work.

He could provide some sort of spark on offense for an A’s team that ranks 25th in runs (106), 30th in batting average (.215), and 28th in on-base percentage (.290). He’s provided some power already for the A’s and is seemingly an upgrade so far over the Sogard-Donaldson combination the A’s opened the season with.

If the Inge experiment fails, however, the A’s could find themselves in a tough spot for the remainder of the season. The team hasn’t had much luck in recent years addressing their third base situation and a lackluster Inge could derail the team a bit. What we saw from Sogard and Donaldson doesn’t really put at ease either.

It could really question and put the A’s depth at third base into serious question.

For the sake of remaining hopeful, Inge has looked like an immediate solution to the problems at third base. He’ll provide some offense and some even better defense for the Athletics this year. He’s not the long-term solution, however. The A’s still need to address their long-term plans at third base.

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Apr 17, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

With the A’s returning home fresh off a triumphant series win in Anaheim against the Angels, The issues of Josh Donaldson‘s offensive and defensive struggles have stood out like a sore thumb throughout the early season. While the A’s have had luck in the past converting former catchers to a corner position (Scott Hatteberg, anyone?), Donaldson has thus far struggled to establish himself as a consistent player on either front. The question is obvious, if Donaldson can’t handle third do the A’s need to bring in major league ready depth from outside the organization at the position to replace him?

The left side of the A’s infield was very much thrown for a loop early in Spring Training when Scott Sizemore suffered a season ending knee injury. Choosing to fill the gap internally, the A’s anointed Donaldson their starter over Eric Sogard whom they prefer to keep as utility player, and Wes Timmons who finds himself back in the familiar confines of Sacramento. Fast forward two weeks into the season and Donaldson has defensively shown flashes of promise, but too often the obvious growing pains of learning on the fly have revealed themselves through routine throwing errors and difficulty charging bunts. With the A’s being amongst the lowest scoring teams in the league, it is absolutely paramount that they play competent defense to compete and so far Donaldson is very much a work in progress. Offensively, he has shown a tendency to be over matched and a propensity to strike out. While he may possess the power and hitting ability to last in the Majors, he has not made the necessary adjustments and has put up horribly redundant slash line of .094/.094/.094  failing to draw a single walk or record an extra base hit.  While it may be too early to deem Donaldson a failure, a “Plan B” may be needed if his troubles continue. With minor league prospect Steven Parker entrenched in his first extended look at AAA, and Timmons struggling in his own right, perhaps Billy Beane will look elsewhere for help. Let’s take a gander at a couple of players recently exposed to the waiver wire and see if they are worth taking a chance on.

Josh Bell is a 25 year old third basemen who was designated for assignment this week by the Baltimore Orioles and now finds his career at the crossroads. A former hot prospect in the Dodgers organization, Bell was acquired by Baltimore at the trade deadline in 2009 for George Sherrill. Making his debut for the Orioles a year later, the switch hitter has failed to impress in two stints in the big leagues.

Mar 5, 2012; Port Charlotte, FL, . Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Hitting a flat .200 with minimal walks and power in 79 big league games, Bell has failed to develop as a major leaguer. While his 6’3”, 235 pound frame is impressive, his defensive range has suffered since knee surgery to repair cartilage damage in 2008. Flashing power from the left side he hit 19 homers in AAA last year, but struggled mightily from the right side in the majors. Combine this with alleged makeup issues stemming from him being amongst the last to check in for Spring Training this past February quickly put him in the doghouse and leading to his eventual dismissal from the organization. Is he worth taking a flyer on? Will a change of scenery revive his once projected potent hitting ability?  That remains to be seen, but when a former heralded prospect is put on the open market it never hurts to take a look.

Luke Hughes is a 27 year old Australian native who has spent much of the last season filling in at various infield positions for Ron Gardenhire’s Twins. While bouncing back and forth between Rochester and Minnesota , The Twins exhausted his number of player options and designated him for assignment this week to make room for pitcher Jason Marquis. While injuries have derailed many of his minor league seasons, he did put up his best numbers in 2008 hitting 18 homers between AA and AAA with a decent slash line of .309/ .389/ .524.

Apr 13, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Very much a free swinger. Hughes has the distinction of homering in his first Major League at bat in 2010 for the Twins. Hitting a paltry .223 last season, his value at this point basically lies in his versatility. Using his athleticism to fill in for extended periods at first, second, and third base he made only 5 errors combined in 96 games. While he may more comparable to Pete Orr then Pete Rose, he appears to be the type of player that won’t hurt you when you pencil his name into the lineup.

While neither player is anything to get overly excited about, they may still be an upgrade over Donaldson at this point due to their experience at the hot corner.  With the third base position in flux, help may be needed sooner or later.

Where have you gone Eric Chavez? The Athletics Nation turns their lonely eyes to you…

Devin Pangaro can be found ranting and raving about all things green and gold on twitter @devinpangaro, and please follow my fellow Swingin’ A’s scribes @FS_SwinginAs or like us on Facebook