Oakland Athletics Need These Five Free Agents in 2016

Aug 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) flips his bat away after striking out against Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. The Athletics lost 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Who Can Help the Oakland Athletics in 2016?

The Oakland Athletics’ roster is in need of some major changes before the beginning of next season. While some teams are making a playoff push, the A’s are already planning for their 2016 campaign. To avoid being in that same situation next season, Billy Beane needs to acquire some free agent talent to fill the holes in the roster.

Of course, budget constraints – whether they are real or self-imposed – will limit which players the Athletics are able to acquire. The trades of Scott Kazmir, Tyler Clippard and Ben Zobrist freed up plenty of cash, but the team will likely still be hesitant to spend for the top free agents.

With that in mind, who should the A’s target this winter?

First, let’s look at one possible version of the projected roster next season:

Catcher: Stephen Vogt
First Baseman: Mark Canha
Second Baseman: Eric Sogard
Shortstop: Marcus Semien
Third Baseman: Brett Lawrie
Left Fielder: Coco Crisp
Center Fielder: Billy Burns
Right Fielder: Josh Reddick
Designated Hitter: Billy Butler

The bench will likely include Danny Valencia and catcher Josh Phegley, as well as two other players. If the A’s are smart, they’ll ditch Sam Fuld, move Crisp to the bench and use their cash to find a true everyday outfielder and another reliable bench player.

There are several top-tier free agents on the market, but the A’s are likely to skip past those and go straight for the scrapheap. With that in mind, here are five free agents the Oakland Athletics should target – and the five second-tier options that the team is more likely to sign instead.

First up:

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