This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

After finishing with the worst record in the Majors, the A's enter this offseason hoping that the third year of their rebuild can represent a big step toward getting back into playoff contention. Activity will begin shortly after the World Series finishes up this week. Soon after will come the General Managers Meetings and Winter Meetings over the next two months, which usually marks the point in the offseason where things start to pick up.

Here’s a look at some frequently asked questions about the A’s as they head into the winter:

Which players are free agents?

Utility player Tony Kemp is the only impending free agent who finished the season on the A’s 40-man roster. Veteran reliever Trevor May, who was set to become a free agent, announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers, and what is the deadline for that?

The A’s are not expected to extend any qualifying offers, but for any Major Leaguers who do receive one, teams have until five days after the completion of the World Series to submit.

Which players have contract options and what is the impact on the team payroll?

Right-hander Drew Rucinski, who finished this season on the injured list, has a $5 million club option for 2024 that is unlikely to get picked up by the A's.

Who is a non-tender candidate? When is that deadline?

The crop of players eligible for arbitration this offseason includes Paul Blackburn, Seth Brown, James Kaprielian and Sean Newcomb.

None of the expected raises in pay for Oakland’s four arbitration-eligible players are expected to be large enough to consider them true non-tender candidates, though Newcomb would probably be the most likely of the group given the team’s pitching depth. Blackburn, who will go through his second year of arbitration, is expected to receive the highest salary for the 2024 season, with that number projected to come under $3 million. 

This year’s non-tender deadline is Nov. 17.

Who needs to be added to the A's 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a roster crunch?

Infielder Darell Hernaiz, rated Oakland’s No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline, must be added to the 40-man roster in order to avoid being exposed to other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 6 at the MLB Winter Meetings. Other candidates the A’s might look to protect are right-handers J.T. Ginn (No. 18 prospect) and Royber Salinas (No. 24), and infielder Max Schuemann (No. 23), who produced a .832 OPS this season between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. Outfielder Lazaro Armenteros, once considered one of the most exciting players to hit the international market in quite some time, is also eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League as the A’s continue to get one last look at the 24-year-old before making a decision.

Players must be added to the 40-man roster by Nov. 14 in order to be protected.

What kind of help do the A's need? Will they be active in free agency?

The A’s have plenty of needs to address coming off a second consecutive 100-loss season. Expect them to look to buy low on players who are non-tendered in the next month and are looking to rebuild their value. One of those targets could be a veteran-type starting pitcher who can provide leadership and guidance for what is currently expected to be an extremely young rotation in ‘24.

As usual, the A’s are unlikely to be in on the big free agent names. Most of their activity could come closer to the start of Spring Training.

Who might they be willing to trade?

Seth Brown saw his name floated around at this year’s Trade Deadline and could be a player of interest for teams this offseason for his power and ability to play all three outfield spots in addition to first base. He is not eligible for free agency until 2027 and is coming off a bit of a down year that followed what was a career-best 2022 campaign, so the A’s would likely be selling low on an offseason deal. But with younger options like Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and Esteury Ruiz already in the Majors and a depth of outfielders closer to Major League-ready in the Minors, Brown could be moved to address other needs.