The pandemic’s economic impact on Major League Baseball was sure to have a ripple effect. Empty stadiums and a short season this summer have led to teams cutting corners. Some 59 players were non-tendered at Wednesday’s deadline.

The A’s, though expected to be especially frugal this offseason, tendered contracts to all 10 of their eligible players. They agreed to terms with four of them. Having another 10 free agents potentially asking for hefty contracts makes more urgent Oakland’s need to lock down team-controlled players while keeping their contention window open. They may need to look outside their own walls to build more depth where they may lose it via free agency.

Fact is, the A’s are experts at digging up other teams’ trash and turning them into treasures. They could come upon a few gems in this flooded market. If they lose Robbie Grossman, Tommy La Stella and, perhaps, Marcus Semien, here are a few new free agents they could look at.

Left-handed hitting corner outfield options

Cleveland Indians’ Tyler Naquin  – $1.8 – $2.4 million

Naquin, 29, could be a perfect reclamation project and fit as a potential platoon option in the corner outfield at the right price.

He has an average exit velocity at 91.7 mph and hits the ball hard 51 percent of the time, which ranks among the top seven percent of the league.

Since his strong rookie season in 2016, that potential hasn’t translated to results. He batted .218/.248/.383 with a .632 OPS in 2020, but slashed .288/.325/.467 with a .792 OPS and 10 home runs in 2019. He doesn’t swing for much power, but he could be an useful bat from the left side.

A huge drawback is his defense. He ranks as one of the worst outfielders with in baseball, recording -4 outs above average, per Statcast. The A’s turned Robbie Grossman and Ramón Laureano into Gold Glove caliber outfielders with a few minor tweaks, mostly pertaining to positioning. Those two are no scrubs defensively, but it tells us the A’s might be able to reach into their bag of tricks to turn Naquin into a more serviceable outfielder.

Colorado Rockies’ David Dahl – (0.6 fWAR): $2.5 – $2.7 million

Dahl, 26, is a quality left-handed bat who can play all three outfield positions. He has a career .289/.342/.515 slash line with a .857 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Dahl could be a steal, presumably non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies because of a down 2020 season (.183/.222/.247 and .470 OPS in 24 games). But that seems to be a flukey outlier, as Dahl slashed .291/.342/.528 with a .870 OPS in the 2018 and 2019 seasons — he was an All-Star in 2019.

Dahl doesn’t stand out in any raw statistic; he doesn’t hit for too much power and his exit velocity is about average. His 0.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio isn’t spectacular, either. His zero outs above average doesn’t stand out, either. But he’s speedy on the base paths and, with some tweaks, could be a great, relatively cost-effective platoon option with some clear upside given his history in Colorado.

Chicago White Sox’s Nomar Mazara –  (0.7 fWAR): $5.6MM – $5.9 million

Mazara, 25, could be a little out of the A’s price range, but he could be a transformational get with a little coaching up. Teams may vie for the opportunity to make something of his power potential — potential that resides in his high hard-hit average and exit velocity. He’s hit 20 home runs (19 in 2019) in four straight seasons, with one home run in a down 2020.

Second base options

Baltimore Orioles’ Hanser Alberto – (2.5 fWAR): $2.3 – $4.1 million

If Tommy La Stella walks, or the A’s cant lock up a Kolten Wong-type free agent, the A’s could look to the new pool of non-tendered players for a look for the ever-open second base job. Oakland doesn’t have a Franklin Barreto or Jorge Mateo this year, and it’s clear they may need to spend a bit here.

If they lose Marcus Semien, they could conceivably move Chad Pinder, locked up for $2.25 million, to shortstop. That frees up some budget for a guy like Alberto, 28, who is a better third baseman defensively but could be coached up to play second. Alberto is somewhat of a project — his 13% strikeout rate is a huge plus, while he’s struggled to make solid contact in his last two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. Still, he managed to put together a .299 average and .322 OBP, including .394 average against left-handed pitchers in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.