Golden Years? Sources suggest former A's-3B Eric Chavez is considering retirement (Photo Credit: AP)

After another shortened season, veteran 3B Eric Chavez may finally decide to call it quits. Chavez, 33, played for the New York Yankees this season after spending his first 13 seasons with the Oakland A’s. In 58 games this season with New York, Chavez, in a limited role, hit .263/.320/.356 with two home runs and 26 RBIs.

Despite changing venues for the first time in his career, Chavez suffered through yet another injury-plagued season. This time, however, it wasn’t his shoulder or his back that was bothering him, it was a broken bone in his left foot. Yes, a broken bone in his foot. Either the dude has some really bad luck, or his body is just really fragile.

The A’s cut ties with the six-time Gold Glove winner after the 2010 season. The team declined to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2011. He was rumored to have worked out for various clubs around baseball including the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees, however, captured Chavez’s interest.

Chavez played exceptionally well during spring training, hitting .395/.422/.558 with a home run and four RBIs. He carried his hot spring hitting into the regular season, hitting .300/.417/.367 with five RBIs in 30 April at-bats. He injured his left foot on May 5 against Detroit and did not play again until July 26 against the Mariners. He hit a respectable .277/.319/.385 with one home run and 10 RBIs during August. (more…)

Despite entering the year with one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Oakland Athletics somehow placed third in the AL West in a very disappointing 2011 season. Oakland’s young arms, considered to be among the best in the business, entered the season with a ton of hope and potential, but injuries to several of the staff’s starters and inconsistencies on offense derailed Oakland’s 2011 campaign.

Oakland’s staff bolted to success during the first-half of the season, despite losing Dallas Braden and Brett Andersonto injuries. The A’s starting pitching depth proved to be extremely helpful this year, as Brandon McCarthy and Gulliermo Moscoso stepped up big this year in Oakland.

For Oakland, McCarthy and Moscoso definitely proved to be valuable pieces of the rotation. McCarthy, who battled shoulder problems in 2010, stayed relatively healthy this year en route to a 9-9 record and a 3.32 ERA in 170.2 innings pitched. Moscoso, meanwhile, was nearly just as good, posting a 8-10 record with a 3.38 ERA in 128.0 innings pitched this year.

Heading into to next season, both McCarthy and Moscoso should be included in Oakland’s starting rotation based on their performances this year. As Oakland learned this season, having too much starting pitching isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It actually comes in handy. (more…)

Former A's 3B Eric Chavez now with the Yankees, is hitting .444 this season. (Photo Credit: NYDaily News)

This past winter the Oakland A’s cut ties with Eric Chavez by declining to pick up his $12.5 million option for the 2011 season. The move, which saved the A’s a ton of money, was a no-brainer as Chavez had been limited to just 154 games from 2007-2010 due to various injuries and set-backs.

From 2000-2006, however, the A’s former Gold Glove winning third-baseman, averaged 28 HR and 94 RBIs per season. Knowing this, of course, made his eventual body-break down in Oakland all the more painful to watch.

This season, however, Chavez’s body seems to be holding up well in his new home in New York. The Yankees invited the 33-year old to spring training this season as a non-roster invitee, and the A’s former star actually had a terrific spring as hit hit .395 with a homer and four RBIs in 18 games. 

More importantly, he’s still healthy.   (more…)