The Oakland A’s, a team that will surely be anchored by its strong starting pitching next season, are on the look out for some impact players on offense. GM Billy Beane and the rest of the A’s front office personnel are having themselves a very busy offseason, as the team has already acquired the likes of OF David DeJesus, and 3B Edwin Encarnacion just to name a few.
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.
The A’s, who finished 9.0 games behind the Rangers this season in the AL West, are on the cusp of contention, but are still a bat or two away from becoming a serious contender next year. Adding someone like Berkman could help the offensively challenged A’s, but Beane’s quest to add offense couldn’t end there.
According to ESPN.com, the A’s are set to meet with Berkman on Tuesday.