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MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers are still working to finalize their coaching staff and shopping for infielders as club officials prepare to head to the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, for this year’s Winter Meetings, which unofficially convene Sunday night.

Here are some of the details to know as GM Matt Arnold & Co. gather for baseball’s annual convention:

Key events
Sunday: HOF Classic Baseball Era Committee results released
Tuesday: MLB Draft Lottery
Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft

Club needs
The most obvious hole on the roster is at shortstop with the departure of free agent Willy Adames, but the Brewers have several ways to fill his absence. They could sign a frontline shortstop (unlikely, given the limited options after Adames on the market) or trade for one. Or, they could focus instead on acquiring a third baseman or second baseman and hand shortstop duties to Joey Ortiz or (less likely, considering he just won the NL’s Platinum Glove Award while playing second base) Brice Turang. There are some good names in the trade rumor mill at third base, including the Mets’ change-of-scenery candidate Brett Baty and three All-Stars in the Phillies’ Alec Bohm, the Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado and the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon. More >>

Potential trade candidates
Devin Williams, a two-time All-Star and two-time NL Reliever of the Year, is not only the Brewers’ most attractive potential trade candidate but one of the best players on the market. Why would Milwaukee trade him then? One, Williams is heading toward a contract year, and with a handful of exceptions like Adames, the Brewers have almost always tried to flip those players for young, controllable talent to continue competing. See: Corbin Burnes last year. And two, Milwaukee has shown a knack for uncovering bullpen value. Trevor Megill, the most obvious successor to Williams, was acquired in a minor trade. Jared Koenig was a Minor League free agent. Joel Payamps was a throw-in to the William Contreras trade. Abner Uribe, probably Milwaukee’s closer of the future, was an international signee.

The Brewers will have to weigh whether Williams’ value is highest now, coming off an injury-shortened season, or at next year’s Trade Deadline.

The outfield also remains an area of depth. Last year, the Brewers dealt Tyrone Taylor (along with pitcher Adrian Houser) to the Mets for a pitching prospect who we’ll get to in a moment. The outfield remains the club’s deepest department, from the very expensive (Christian Yelich has four years and $110.5 million of guaranteed money left on his contract as he comes back from back surgery) to a stable of pre-arbitration players like Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins, who other clubs could covet. Jackson Chourio, of course, is completely off-limits after finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Prospect to know
Jacob Misiorowski will pitch in the Majors in 2025. Barring injury, that seems certain. But when, and in what role? That is up in the air as the Winter Meetings begin. Clubs almost always try to develop pitchers as starters, and Misiorowski, the club’s No. 3 prospect and No. 80 in baseball, has shown flashes of success when he harnesses his command, including last season when he had a 3.33 ERA and nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings in his 21 starts, mostly for Double-A Biloxi.

Misiorowski sure looked comfortable in relief after moving up to Triple-A Nashville -- a role shift that spoke not of the organization’s plans for its top pitching prospect but rather its immediate need to ensure bullpen depth as the postseason approached. Misiorowski’s strikeout rate remained similar, but his opponents’ average dropped from .180 as a starter to .085 in 12 appearances as a reliever, though he never got a callup to the big leagues. It’s hard to envision Milwaukee trading Misiorowski, but given that he’s close to Major League-ready, you can be sure clubs will ask.

Rule 5 Draft
The Brewers added right-handers Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick to the 40-man roster in November to protect them from being plucked away in the Rule 5 Draft, which takes place Wednesday afternoon in Dallas. Among the players left unprotected were pitcher Coleman Crow (the Brewers’ No. 30 prospect), who began his comeback from Tommy John surgery with a stint in the Arizona Fall League; Ernesto Martinez Jr., a big, athletic first baseman nicknamed "El Espectáculo"; slugging first baseman and catcher Wes Clarke, who hit 21 homers between Double-A Biloxi and Nashville in '24; and right-handed swingman Shane Smith, who struck out 113 batters in 94 1/3 innings between Biloxi and Nashville last season.

What about adding a player via the Rule 5 Draft? The Brewers have attempted to carry only one Rule 5 Draft pickup since 2015; right-hander Gus Varland in 2023. He eventually found his way back to the Dodgers.

• History of Brewers’ Rule 5 Draft picks

Burning question
How long can they keep the window open?

Everyone expected the Brewers to take a step back last season after trading Burnes and cutting some payroll, but they instead won the NL Central for the second consecutive season and the third time in four years. Now their home run and RBI leader (Adames) is gone to free agency, their All-Star closer (Williams) is on the trade block because he’s heading into a contract year and payroll could be tight again. With the Cubs ascending and the Pirates looking tougher with their terrific young starting rotation, can Milwaukee find enough value in trades and under-the-radar signings to plug the pitching, find a productive shortstop and continue a stretch of six postseason appearances in the past seven seasons?