The A’s heading into next season have very little punch in their lineup. 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff led the team in homers this year with 16. According to reports, however, the A’s are set to meet with Lance Berkman.

Berkman, 34, is a possibility for Oakland, but he’s publicly said that he has no plans to become just a DH. The switch-hitting Berkman hit .248/.368/.413 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs this season while splitting time between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.

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Berkman, 34, served primarily as a DH during his stint with the Yankees this year, and the A’s could be one of the teams interested in Berkman’s services. In 122 games this season (37 with NYY), Berkman hit .248/.368/.413 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. While Berkman’s production has been on the decline in recent years—he struggled mightily against lefties this year—the A’s could certainly benefit from his presence in the lineup if they can sign him for the right price.

The A’s hit a total of 109 home runs this season (28th in MLB), and are in dire need of some power. A’s GM Billy Beane has said in the past that the offense needs help, so it’s hard to imagine the A’s are completely finished making deals this offseason. If the A’s can add a guy like Berkman to the lineup, the team could become serious contenders in 2011.

Then again, adding someone like Berkman could contradict the A’s whole theme of going young. Remember Jason Giambi’s homecoming in 2009? Or how about the Big Hurt’s second-coming to Oakland?

The A’s could always try trading for an impact player, so they don’t have to waste time persuading players that Oakland is the perfect place to play. The A’s have plenty of pitching, and trading for someone like Matt Kemp could do wonders for their anemic offense. The A’s still have plenty of time to address their offensive needs, but with the way things are looking, they should have no problem doing so.

Chavez's playing days in Oakland are over. The A's announced that they will not be picking up his option for 2011. The A's will, however, pick up options on Crisp and Ellis. (Photo Courtesy of yardbarker.com)

The Oakland A’s announced on Wednesday that they are picking up the options on OF Coco Crisp and 2B Mark Ellis for the 2011 season. Meanwhile, the A’s declined DH Eric Chavez‘s $12.5 option, and instead bought him out for $3 million. The A’s were expected to pick up Crisp’s option, but Ellis’ future with the club was ‘iffy’ leading up to today’s announcement.

Ellis, 33, is the oldest member on the A’s team, but he did have a solid season this year, hitting .291/.358/.381 with 5 homers and 49 RBIs in 124 games. Ellis had an amazing run down the stretch, which included a month of September where he hit a scorching .413/.465/.519 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 104 at-bats. The A’s picked up Ellis’ option, which was worth $6 million. Ellis now becomes Oakland’s current longest-tenured player, now that Chavez is a free agent.

Crisp, while injured for a large chunk of the season, still provided some offensive production when he was healthy. In 75 games this year with Oakland, Crisp, 31, hit .279/.342/.438 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs. The 8 home runs were the most Crisp has hit since 2006, where he also tallied 8 homers for Boston in 105 games. The A’s picked up the veteran’s $5.75 million option with the hope that he’ll return this upcoming season healthy and ready to contribute on offense. Crisp is currently recovering from a finger injury that sidelined him for most of September.

Ellis and Crisp, while both seasoned veterans, are expected to provide veteran leadership and expertise in their respective positions. Ellis’ defense has always been solid, as has Crisp’s over his career. The A’s are going to win with their strong pitching and defense, and both Ellis and Crisp can certainly contribute on defense.

The A’s, as expected, declined to pick up Chavez’s $12.5 million option for 2011. Chavez, 33, ranks in the top-10 in nearly every offensive category in A’s history, and while he was limited these past few seasons, Chavez did everything he could for the organization. Chavez won six-consecutive Gold Glove awards at third base from 2001-2006, and played extremely well when he was healthy. A neck injury, however, ultimately put an end to his final season with the A’s, and the A’s decision to decline Chavez’s option means that Chavy is now a free agent. While Chavez has yet to announce his retirement from baseball, it is expected that his playing days are over. He’s played in a total of just 64 games since the start of the 2008 season. In his career, Chavez has hit a respectable .267/.343/.478 with 230 homers and 787 RBIs.