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

A busy offseason awaits the Giants, who are expected to be active as they attempt to improve a roster that underperformed in 2022. With Hot Stove season looming, let’s lay out five of the most pressing questions the Giants will face this winter:

1. Will they make a serious run at Aaron Judge?

Judge’s free agency will be the biggest storyline of the offseason, as the 30-year-old slugger is coming off one of the greatest walk years in baseball history after hitting an American League-record 62 home runs in 2022. There will be plenty of pressure on the Yankees to lock up their franchise star, but if the two sides can’t come to an agreement, the Giants are viewed as the favorites to swoop in and sign Judge, a Linden, Calif., native who grew up rooting for the orange and black.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi hasn’t given out a free-agent contract longer than three years since joining the Giants, so he’ll have to be willing to break precedent to land Judge, who turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from New York earlier this year. Still, San Francisco emerged as a suitor for Bryce Harper before he signed with the Phillies three years ago, so it certainly has the resources to make a big splash and address its lack of star power this offseason.

2. Could they add another shortstop, even with Brandon Crawford still under contract?

Landing Judge would be a coup, but it wouldn’t be a singlehanded fix for all of the Giants’ roster needs. One of their stated goals is to get younger and more athletic, which could compel them to pursue a free-agent shortstop such as Trea Turner or Carlos Correa, assuming the latter opts out of his deal with the Twins as expected. Still, the Giants already have a four-time Gold Glove Award winner in Crawford, who is signed through 2023 and has never played anywhere other than shortstop over his 12-year career in the Majors. Crawford is coming off a down year and will turn 36 in January, but he played brilliant defense down the stretch and remains a stabilizing force on the infield.

Would the Giants approach Crawford about a possible position switch if they choose to go after another shortstop this offseason?

“In an offseason like this, everything has got to be on the table,” Zaidi said earlier this month. “But his shortstop defense was clearly not an issue for us this year. He continues to play really well over there. We’re not going to have anything more to say about that. Just improving our defense overall is a priority.”

3. Will Carlos Rodón re-sign?

It’s a foregone conclusion that Rodón will opt out of the final year of his two-year, $44 million contract and re-enter free agency this offseason, so the Giants will have a sizable hole to fill atop their rotation. But with Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani and Jakob Junis returning and top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison not too far away, it’s unclear how aggressive the Giants will be in pushing for a reunion with Rodón, who will likely be one of the most coveted starting pitchers on the open market. If they let Rodón walk, could they try pivoting to another ace such as Jacob deGrom?

4. Will Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt or Joc Pederson return?

Several other Giants veterans also have questionable futures in San Francisco. Longoria, 37, has a $13 million club option for 2023 that includes a $5 million buyout and has expressed interest in coming back, even if it means negotiating on terms. Belt, 34, will be eligible for free agency, but he’s coming off season-ending knee surgery and has dealt with chronic physical issues, creating more uncertainty about his ability to stay productive. Pederson, 30, emerged as the club’s best hitter this season, but he was a defensive liability in the outfield and will likely need to be convinced that the Giants have the pieces to contend before signing up for a second season with his hometown team.

5. How can they close the gap with the Dodgers and Padres?

The Giants spent the last couple of years watching the Dodgers and Padres load up on superstars, resulting in a talent deficit that was clearly reflected in the standings this year. San Francisco finished 30 games behind the 111-win Dodgers, who were promptly upset by the 89-win Padres in the National League Division Series. Both Southern California clubs will be motivated to come back stronger next year, so life won’t get any easier for the Giants in the NL West. A more balanced 2023 schedule might be a welcome change, but San Francisco will still have to find a way to match the firepower of its division rivals sooner rather than later.