TORONTO -- The Blue Jays watched on from home this October after missing the postseason by one game, but some major offseason decisions are on the horizon for a club that should be competitive for years to come.

Here is a look at what comes next and who the key names will be over a busy winter for the Blue Jays:

Which players are free agents?

Pitchers: Robbie Ray, Steven Matz, Kirby Yates, David Phelps, Joakim Soria

Position players: Marcus Semien, Corey Dickerson, Jarrod Dyson

The spotlight will be on Ray and Semien this offseason -- and deservedly so -- but Matz had a fine season and Dickerson, who came over in a mid-season trade, proved to be a great fit on this roster. The trio of Yates, Phelps and Soria didn’t make much of an impact on the ’21 roster, but both Yates and Phelps were expected to be key, back-end pieces entering the year. The bullpen market will be another busy place for the Blue Jays.

Did anyone receive a qualifying offer?

Ray and Semien received qualifying offers, but both are likely to decline them before entering free agency at the top of the market. Matz was not extended a qualifying offer after posting a 3.82 ERA in ’21 and quietly helping to stabilize the rotation. Still only 30, Matz could earn a nice multi-year deal in free agency.

Which players have options?

At least this part is simple: There are no contract options coming up this offseason for the Blue Jays.

Who are the extension candidates?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are the obvious two, with Guerrero entering his first year of arbitration and Bichette still a year away. Both are franchise cornerstones, and the Blue Jays would like to keep it that way, but striking an early extension needs to work for both sides as they each balance long-term risk with immediate reward.

Teoscar Hernández is another name to keep in mind, coming off a 32-homer, 116-RBI season as this lineup’s underrated star. Hernández has two years of team control remaining. José Berríos is another candidate, with one year of team control remaining (’22). A pitcher of Berríos’ caliber is not easy to find, and given his incredible track record of consistency, there should be an increased level of confidence in Berríos’ value moving forward.

Are there any non-tender candidates?

Most of the Blue Jays’ decisions on this front will be fairly straightforward ahead of the Dec. 2 tender deadline. Players like Guerrero, Hernández and Berríos will earn well-deserved raises while Tim Mayza, Trevor Richards and Adam Cimber should all have contracts tendered as they enter ’22 as key bullpen pieces. Ross Stripling stands in the middle, projected to earn $4.4 million in arbitration by MLB Trade Rumors coming off a 4.80 ERA in ’21.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster?

Ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 8, clubs will protect young players by adding them to their 40-man rosters. The deadline for doing so is 6:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 19.

Some of the Blue Jays’ top prospects will be eligible, like Miguel Hiraldo (No. 6), Leo Jimenez (No. 11), Samad Taylor (No. 17) and Eric Pardinho (No. 24). Lower down on the prospect list you’ll find Joey Murray (No. 25) and Zach Logue (No. 27), who are interesting cases, too. Murray missed nearly the entire season after entering camp with some hype and a legitimate shot to crack the roster at some point during the season while Logue pitched to a 3.32 ERA over 89 1/3 innings in Triple-A.

What are the Blue Jays’ biggest offseason needs?

Just as Ray and Semien are the club’s biggest free agents, the holes they leave behind become the club’s biggest needs. A top-end starter and a good infielder -- whether that be second base, third base or one of each -- need to be the Blue Jays’ top priorities this offseason.

There will be the usual bullpen moves and the Blue Jays could look to balance their lineup more, like they did with the Dickerson addition, but their most important moves should come at the top of the market. The trade market could be particularly lucrative, especially if the Blue Jays can flex some financial muscle by taking on contracts in deals.

Which players could be dealt?

The Blue Jays still have an attractive farm system after dealing Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson for Berríos. New No. 1 prospect Gabriel Moreno is close to untouchable while No. 2 Orelvis Martinez has a bat to dream on, but the system has enough depth to make moves from.

If opposing teams are seeking MLB-level talent, Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s combination of talent and an extremely affordable contract would be appealing. There’s also a crunch in the outfield that could be solved by moving Randal Grichuk’s contract, but the Blue Jays would likely need to take on a contract in return or eat a significant portion of that salary.

Other important dates:

The current CBA between MLB and the MLBPA is set to expire on Dec. 1. All dates prior to that will proceed as planned, with any dates beyond Dec. 1 tentative on the two sides reaching a new agreement.

1 day after World Series: Players become free agents and clubs can make trades.

5 days after World Series: Final day to reinstate players from the Major League and Minor League 60-day injured lists.

Nov. 8-11: GM Meetings in Carlsbad, CA.

Dec. 6-9: MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando.