PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates aren’t poised to be the huge sellers this offseason that they were last year, but they still have numerous decisions to make as build toward a winning club.

What’s on the docket for the Bucs? When are the key dates to have things set? Here’s a breakdown of the Pirates’ timeline and questions over the next couple of months.

• Forecasting the 40-man roster | Five questions facing Bucs

Who are the Pirates' Major League free agents?
Trevor Cahill, Shelby Miller and Yoshi Tsutsugo.

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers, and what is the deadline for that?
No. The deadline is 5 p.m. ET on the fifth day after the end of the World Series, which is TBD, and the deadline for players to accept or reject the qualifying offer is 5 p.m. ET on the 15th day after the World Series ends.

Which players have options, what’s the dollar figure and impact on payroll, and when does it need to be decided upon?
None of the Pirates’ players have player or team options.

Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?
These decisions, along with the 40-man protections, will be the key decisions the Pirates will have to make this offseason.

They have a jam of middle infielders who are either Major League-ready or near that: Kevin Newman, Cole Tucker, No. 3 prospect Oneil Cruz, No. 9 prospect Tucupita Marcano and No. 22 prospect Ji-hwan Bae. That’s not to mention second basemen like Hoy Park and Michael Chavis. Could Newman be the odd man out after posting a .570 OPS over the past two seasons?

The other interesting decision will be Colin Moran. MLB Trade Rumors projects Moran to get $4 million in arbitration, which would trail only Bryan Reynolds’ projected $4.5 million in arbitration this offseason. Is Moran worth holding on to at a non-premium position? His offensive value has dropped steadily since his first full season in 2018 (1.9 offensive bWAR) to ‘21 (0.3 offensive bWAR) despite his spot in the cleanup role.

These decisions must be made by Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a crunch for roster spots?
There are so many names to mention here, but needless to say, they have a crunch for roster space. Top prospects with little MLB time like Oneil Cruz (No. 3), Roansy Contreras (No. 6) and Tucupita Marcano (No. 9) were already added to the 40-man roster, but some others who have yet to reach MLB could be exposed. Among those who have seen time at Double-A or Triple-A are Travis Swaggerty (No. 16), Mason Martin (No. 17), Omar Cruz (No. 26), Canaan Smith-Njigba (No. 27), Cody Bolton (No. 28) and Jack Suwinski (No. 29).

If so, how might that be resolved, and when does that need to be set?
Needless to say, not everyone will be protected. The Pirates will definitely take their chances by leaving some players at Low-A and High-A unprotected, but they are likely going to have to leave some Double-A guys exposed. The Pirates could use non-tenders, outrights and other roster moves to clear up space, but that may not be enough to ensure everyone who is near the Majors will stay in the organization.

In addition to the non-tender deadline on Dec. 2, the last day to outright players before the Rule 5 Draft will be Dec. 5. The Rule 5 Draft will be held on Dec. 8 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando.

What kind of help do they need and will they be active in free agency? Who might they target?
There are two big needs for the Pirates: A veteran starting pitcher and a right fielder.

The former, I think, will be a certainty. The Pirates acquired Tyler Anderson and Trevor Cahill last offseason, and while Cahill was often hurt, what Anderson provided in terms of consistency and leadership was extremely valuable to the club. If Chad Kuhl ends up in the bullpen and if Steven Brault’s trouble staying healthy for a full season continues, they need to bolster their young core.

Right fielder is another area of need, but it’s a little less clear if they will fill it through free agency or not. Gregory Polanco is out of the organization, and Yoshi Tsutsugo -- who was tried in right field to poor results -- is a free agent. Ben Gamel could plug in here, though he played more left field in 2021, or Swaggerty could fill it in short order given he has a good spring off right shoulder surgery. But it’s an open position as of now.

Who might they be willing to trade?
They don’t have many trade pieces that would warrant as strong of returns as they received last offseason for Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon.

In an offseason like this, where few marquee catchers are hitting free agency, Jacob Stallings is the type of catcher who could be rumored to be of interest given his exceptional defense and back-of-the-order bat. But with a void of any other Major League-ready catchers ready to take over the starting role for the Pirates, it seems very unlikely they’d move him.

Bryan Reynolds will draw interest, but given his controllability and premier bat, it’s nearly impossible to imagine he garners more than just rumors. If there were to be any trades, I’d expect them to be minor in nature -- maybe a deal to clear space and get some cash or an upside prospect back or something of the like.