If I know Billy Beane, he’s going to be looking for bargains in free agency. The A’s have to replace their whole starting outfield and the DH spot before next season starts. Now they could go young, but that isn’t the way the A’s always operate….especially if some bargains present themselves and I think they will. Here are three guys I could easily see winding up with the A’s in 2012:

1. Vladimir Guerrero - The A’s just didn’t hit well for average last year. Guerrero has lost some of his power but he can still flat out hit as a DH.

2. Raul Ibanez - Lefty swinging LF Raul Ibanez can still hit for power and that is something the A’s really need. I think he would be a perfect fit for them.

3. Magglio Ordonez - RF is wide open for the A’s and Billy Beane won’t be able to resist signing Ordonez if he comes at the right price.

I think the A’s could blow up their disappointing roster this week and why not? Any player who isn’t a part of the A’s future (I count at least 16 of them) will likely be on the trading block this week. The whole A’s starting outfield (Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp and David DeJesus) could be on the move and they each have decent value trade wise. DH Hideki Matsui and outfielder Ryan Sweeney also have limited appeal to other teams on the trade market. Conor Jackson, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Daric Barton will also be on the trade block this week but none of them will bring much of a return on their own. Righty starting pitchers Rich Harden and Brandon McCarthy will be on the block with teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers and Cardinals having interest in them. The bullpen is going to bring back nice returns for the A’s if they decide to move a lot of them. Lefty relievers Brian Fuentes, Craig Breslow and Jeremy Blevins likely appeal to the Red Sox, Yankees, Brewers, Cardinals and Diamondbacks. Righty relievers Grant Balfour, Brad Zeigler and Michael Wuertz will likely draw attention from the Tigers, Twins, Rangers, Angels, Braves, Pirates and Diamondbacks. A’s GM Billy Beane might try to make a few package deals to maximize his return for the players he’s willing to deal. I see the A’s looking a lot different on August 1st than they look right now.

I think that A’s GM Billy Beane is going to want to make big trades but I just don’t think he will like the market. With that in mind, I see smaller deals landing in the lap of the A’s. The A’s would love to unload lefty reliever Brian Fuentes and I think they will. I think if they sent enough cash along with Fuentes that they could get a decent prospect like righty starting pitcher Kyle Weiland. The A’s could then flip lefty reliever Jeremy Blevins to the Phillies for righty reliever Scott Mathieson. Finally, I can see the A’s dealing outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Rockies for 2B/OF Eric Young who has speed to burn. None of those deals are earth shattering but the A’s would be getting back players with a nice upside without screwing up the team for the rest of the 2011 season and beyond.

The Oakland A’s really expected more out of the team this year. This team was built to win now but they are 30-40 and are in last place in the N.L. West. The good news is that they are only six games out of first place, so they can get on a hot streak and turn things around quickly. If they continue to fade though, A’s G.M. Billy Beane is going to be very active at the trade deadline. Kurt Suzuki, Daric Barton, Mark Ellis, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Coco Crisp, David DeJesus, Hideki Matsui, Conor Jackson, Ryan Sweeney, Craig Breslow, Jeremy Blevins and Brian Fuentes will all likely garner interest from other teams. If the A’s continue to struggle, I see them having a big firesale. But, if they get hot, I could see them buying a hitter or two (especially a 1B).

The A’s have four free agents heading into the winter and this is how I would deal with them:

Mark Ellis: 33-year old 2B Mark Ellis played in 124 games for the A’s last season and he was 127 of 436 (.291 avg, .739 OPS) with 45 runs scored, 5 homers, 49 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. The A’s have a $6 million dollar option on Ellis for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout. VERDICT: I would decline the option and try to sign Ellis to a multi-year deal with a smaller base salary.

Coco Crisp: 30-year old switch hitting outfielder Coco Crisp played in 75 games for the A’s last season and he was 81 of 290 (.279 avg, .779 OPS) with 51 runs scored, 8 homers, 38 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. The A’s have a $5.75 million dollar option for Crisp in 2011 with a $575,000 buyout. VERDICT: I would decline the option and offer Crisp a multi-year deal with a smaller base salary.

Justin Duchscherer: 32-year old righty starting pitcher Justin Duchscherer started 5 games for the A’s last season and he was 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He is a good pitcher when healthy but that doesn’t seem to be the case too often. VERDICT: I would let him walk.

Ben Sheets: 32-year old righty starting pitcher Ben Sheets started 20 games for the A’s last season and he was 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. His season ended with a major elbow injury which will cause him to miss the entire 2011 season. VERDICT: He’s gone.