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The Pirates and the baseball world are on the precipice of the busiest time of the MLB offseason schedule: the Winter Meetings. While nothing is guaranteed for any club this time of year, the Bucs have landed several players the past few years during this stretch, and rumors and progress toward deals are commonplace as the Hot Stove revs up to its highest temperature.

From Hall of Fame votes to drafts and trying to figure out what the Pirates might do, here¡¯s what you need to know before the Winter Meetings begin Sunday in Dallas.

Key events

Sunday: Hall of Fame Classic Baseball Era Committee results released -- Pirates Hall of Fame member Dave Parker is on the ballot for Cooperstown again. It¡¯ll be his fourth time on a Veterans Committee ballot, having received 43.8% of the vote his most recent time in 2019 from the Modern Era Committee.

Tuesday: MLB Draft Lottery -- The Pirates struck gold two years ago when they were awarded the first overall pick in the inaugural Draft Lottery, which allowed them to select Paul Skenes. They have a 5.31% chance (the sixth-best odds) at the first overall pick this time.

Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft -- The Pirates will have the eighth overall selection this year. They also have open 40-man roster spots, so they are eligible to make a selection.

Biggest need: Corner outfield

The Pirates decided to part with Bryan De La Cruz and Connor Joe at the non-tender deadline, and after Edward Olivares left via free agency, Pittsburgh is without the three players who had the most playing time in right field last season.

This team needs an offensive boost -- ideally someone with some pop after they finished 25th in the Majors with 160 home runs last year -- and the only internal options are Jack Suwinski, who is coming off a dreadful season, rookies Billy Cook and Nick Yorke and career up-down guys Joshua Palacios and Trey Cabbage. The Bucs need to bring in at least one outfielder to deepen that group.

Potential trade candidates

While corner outfield is the most pressing need, it¡¯s not the only area the Pirates need to upgrade this winter. First base is a mystery, and the bullpen needs to add a couple arms. Fortunately for the Bucs, they have something everybody is looking for in trades: Pitching.

Top pitching prospects are probably off the table, but the Pirates have plenty of depth and a willingness to trade some of those arms for bats. Quinn Priester and Patrick O¡¯Reilly were dealt at the Deadline, so they have shown they¡¯re willing to trade pitchers with a pedigree or a developing ceiling, giving them some flexibility of who could be on the trade block.

Major League pitchers (outside of the big three: Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones) could also be available, thanks to the depth Pittsburgh has available in the Minors.

Prospect to know

Right-hander Bubba Chandler isn¡¯t getting dealt, but having another top-tier pitching prospect at Triple-A Indianapolis gives the Pirates some flexibility if they want to trade from their Major League pitching pool. The Bucs¡¯ top prospect is ranked 15th overall by MLB Pipeline, their second-highest rated pitcher. Having him in reserve should bolster an already strong rotation.

Rule 5 Draft

Catcher Omar Alfonzo (No. 26) is the only Pirates Top 30 prospect eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and a High-A catcher likely isn¡¯t a great pick for other teams. Outfielder Sammy Siani and right-hander Eddy Yean are available as well, and Siani had a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League.

As for the Pirates, they¡¯ve selected relievers the past few years (Jose Soriano and Luis Oviedo in 2020, Jose Hernandez in 2022), so it¡¯s possible they could go that route again to deepen the middle relief.

Burning question: Do the Pirates dangle pitching in a trade?

Pittsburgh has a spoil of riches in the rotation and the deepest collection of Minor League pitchers in the farm system. It also has big needs in the lineup and bullpen. It¡¯s hard to see the Pirates dealing any of their top three Major League or Minor League arms, but the depth they have could be the center of a package to improve the Major League team. Does a deal start to take shape in Dallas?