ST. PETERSBURG -- The last time MLB’s Winter Meetings were held in person, Randy Arozarena was still a St. Louis Cardinal, Shane McClanahan had just reached Double-A and Wander Franco was an 18-year-old in High-A ball.

Yeah, it’s been a while.

Baseball’s marquee offseason event will return next week as executives, managers, agents and media convene at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. Some aspects of the Winter Meetings have changed since 2019, including the introduction of the MLB Draft Lottery. As for the free-agent buzz and trade rumors generated when the entire baseball world gathers in one place? That should be back to normal.

It’s hard to predict whether the Rays will complete any transactions before leaving San Diego, but it’s safe to say they will be busy there. President of baseball operations Erik Neander has acknowledged the need to improve a lineup that underperformed last season and fizzled at the finish line, and the club is always looking for creative ways to improve its roster.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know before the Winter Meetings begin.

Key events

• Sunday, Dec. 4: Hall of Fame Contemporary Era ballot results released (Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling)

• Monday, Dec. 5: All-MLB Team announced

• Tuesday, Dec. 6: Inaugural Draft Lottery, AL/NL Relievers of Year announced

• Wednesday, Dec. 7: Rule 5 Draft

Club needs

The Rays’ biggest need remains a productive left-handed hitter (or hitters) to balance their lineup. A bunch of contenders are looking for the same thing, but there are still intriguing options on the open market. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo is at the head of that class, while switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell, veteran outfielder/DH Michael Brantley and outfielder Andrew Benintendi are among the top lefty-hitting free agents.

Tampa Bay needs to figure out who’s on first, either filling the position from within or by acquiring someone who addresses that need. There’s been an early run on free-agent first basemen, with Anthony Rizzo going back to the Yankees, Carlos Santana signing with the Pirates and José Abreu bolstering the Astros’ lineup. But Bell, Trey Mancini, Brandon Belt and others are still available.

The Rays also seem likely to target a fifth starter, presumably a veteran to provide valuable innings and leadership, and they could pursue help behind the plate if it’s an upgrade over Christian Bethancourt and Francisco Mejía.

Potential trade candidates

The Rays have 14 arbitration-eligible players, a sizable class that could be further pared down through trades. The most intriguing candidates from that group are Arozarena and corner infielder Yandy Díaz, but they’re perhaps the least likely to move because they’re so valuable to Tampa Bay.

The Rays could stand to part with one of their four lefty relievers -- Jalen Beeks, Garrett Cleavinger, Colin Poche and Brooks Raley -- because it’s hard to imagine half of their bullpen being left-handed. While they’re as dependent as any club on their farm system churning out contributors, they have a ton of Minor League talent/young big leaguers they could package in trades.

Prospects to know

Start at the beginning of the Rays’ Top 30 list per MLB Pipeline with Taj Bradley (No. 1 prospect) and Curtis Mead (No. 2), both of whom will compete for jobs in Spring Training and should debut at some point next season. Bradley will eventually claim a spot in the rotation, and Mead should find a home somewhere in the infield.

After completing his Tommy John surgery rehab, reliever Colby White could crack the bullpen next summer. Greg Jones (No. 15) and Osleivis Basabe (No. 12), recently added to the 40-man roster, are further away. Kyle Manzardo (No. 4) looked this year like the Rays’ first baseman of the future, but he’s also probably another season away from the Majors.

Rule 5 Draft

With a full 40-man roster, the Rays can’t make any selections in the Rule 5 Draft. But they could lose a prospect or two, as they left unprotected a handful of intriguing players including outfielders Heriberto Hernandez (No. 16 prospect), Kameron Misner (No. 19) and Diego Infante, infielders Ronny Simon and Austin Shenton (No. 22), catcher Blake Hunt and reliever Jose Lopez.

Burning question

Will the Rays make a big splash? Last spring, they made a strong push to sign first baseman Freddie Freeman, which would have been the franchise’s most significant free-agent signing ever. In recent years, they at least attempted to acquire All-Stars like Max Scherzer, Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel in trades. None of that came to fruition, but each effort signaled a real willingness to aim high.