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…)

Most will point out that, Chavez, 33, has not been a productive player for some time now, but the A’s former Gold Glove winner will certainly be missed.

The A’s cut ties with the third-baseman when the team decided not to pick up Chavez’s option for the 2011 season. The A’s signed Chavez to a six-year deal worth $66 million in 2004, and got just two productive years out of Chavez in return.

Injuries derailed what could have been a very solid career. Last season, the A’s used Chavez as a DH as a way to limit the load on his shoulders and back, but Chavez still succumbed to an injury. This time, however, the injury was in the form of two bulging disks in his neck.

As a result, Chavez appeared in just 33 games in 2010, and hit just .234/.276/.333 with one homer and 10 RBIs.

2010 concluded Chavez’s career in Oakland, and in 13 years with the organization, the former six-time Gold Glover winner hit .267/.343/.478 with 230 home runs and 787 RBIs. From the years 2000-2005, Chavez averaged 30 home runs per season, but from 2006-2010, he averaged just 8. (more…)