By the time we ask the annual five key questions for the Giants entering spring training, they already have answered the overarching question of what kind of team they will try to be.

Usually.

Spring training 2019 will be different. New president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi took the job with a plan to set the Giants on a better course, but the dearth of player moves this offseason has observers scratching their heads over the direction that course will take.

Are the Giants rebuilding? Not exactly. Zaidi has not traded anybody from a team that lost 98 and 89 games over the past two seasons, respectively.

Are the Giants expecting to contend? That would be a reach with just three major-league acquisitions thus far, all pitchers, re-signing Derek Holland and adding starter Drew Pomeranz and reliever Pat Venditte (while recognizing that Zaidi continues to seek outfielders in a late-developing market).

Are they tanking? That would be hard to do with so many expensive, immovable contracts for players who are talented enough to generate some wins.

Setting the big picture aside until the team is rounded out, we can identify these other key questions:

1. Is this Bruce Bochy’s final year as manager?

Odds are it is. His contract expires after the season, he turns 63 in April and new front-office chiefs usually want to pick their own managers.

There is a significant “however” here. Bochy helmed three World Series title teams and remains popular in San Francisco. Zaidi has to respect who Bochy is and what he has done in 12 seasons with the Giants.

Bochy has pledged to be open-minded about change, which goes beyond the newfangled way pitchers are used, or front-office types walking into the clubhouse and making “suggestions” on lineup changes. For instance, Bochy’s penchant for sticking with veterans — “our guys” — even through lengthy slumps, well, those days are over.

This will be the club’s most fascinating dynamic this season.

2. Will Madison Bumgarner be traded?

Like Bochy, Bumgarner is a World Series hero, but fans increasingly understand the benefits of restocking the farm by trading potential free agents such as Bumgarner versus letting them walk for nothing or signing them to nine-figure contracts.

Zaidi said his office has made no outgoing calls on Bumgarner, but if the team fails to contend, as expected, he will get no shortage of incoming calls from contenders that always seem to be one big starter short at the trade deadline — assuming Bumgarner pitches like the Bumgarner of old.

Remember this modern wrinkle, though: The Giants can hold on to the Big Fella all season and extend a qualifying offer, ensuring draft compensation if he signs elsewhere or having him for one more year at about $20 million in the unlikely event that he accepts it.

3. Can the Giants get bounce-back seasons from veteran players?

Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Jeff Samardzija, Mark Melancon, Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria. Holy Toledo, that’s a lot of players who had down seasons because of injuries, ineffectiveness or both.

Fans tend to look at these players as zeroes or less-than-zeroes moving forward, and all need to prove the issue is not merely natural decline due to age. Zaidi has been kinder, saying he expects this “championship core of players” to win more games. More than once he declared he saw no reason to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Posey is the player to watch, with hope that his long-needed hip surgery will allow him to be the power threat he once was.

4. Who will man the outfield on Opening Day?

It’s possible this question has not been as open-ended since players drove to the ballpark in Model T’s. Who’s going to start in right field, Bryce Harper or Drew Ferguson? It’s a pick-’em!

The Giants have five outfielders on their 40-man roster: Steven Duggar, Mac Williamson, Austin Slater, Chris Shaw, and Ferguson, a former Astros prospect and Giants Rule 5 draft pick. They also invited minor-leaguers Henry Ramos and Anthony Garcia to camp, while Zaidi still hopes to add one or two veteran free agents.

The wild card is Harper, of course. The Giants have some interest. Otherwise, the player to watch might be Williamson, whose 2018 season was wrecked by a concussion that came in the fifth and final game of an explosive call-up that had fans thinking the Giants finally found their version of Bigfoot: a homegrown outfielder with pop.

5. Is there another Dereck Rodriguez in the system ready to surprise in 2019?

If we knew now, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?

Zaidi’s A’s and Dodgers did a good job identifying underappreciated talent. Garcia, who hit 25 homers at Triple-A last year, could be a candidate. Starter Logan Webb, added to the 40-man roster, made a huge leap in the Giants’ system in 2018. They also have a homegrown infielder named Ryan Howard who might be a factor.

As in past years, the farm system is not flush with majors-ready talent. Unlike past years, the prospects they do have should get long looks under a new management team that is not married to the older players who preceded it to San Francisco.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman

Giants’ 40-man roster Pitchers (24): RH Melvin Adon, RH Jake Barrett, RH Tyler Beede, LH Travis Bergen, LH Ty Blach, RH Ray Black, LH Madison Bumgarner, RH Sam Coonrod, RH Johnny Cueto, RH Sam Dyson, LH Derek Holland, RH Mark Melancon, RH Reyes Moronta, LH Steven Okert, LH Josh Osich, LH Drew Pomeranz, RH Dereck Rodriguez, RH Jeff Samardzija, LH Will Smith, RH Chris Stratton, LH Andrew Suarez, LH/RH Pat Venditte, LH Tony Watson, RH Logan Webb Catchers (2): Aramis Garcia, Buster Posey Infielders (9): Abiatal Avelino, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Alen Hanson, Ryder Jones, Evan Longoria, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, Breyvic Valera Outfielders (5): Steven Duggar, Drew Ferguson, Chris Shaw, Austin Slater, Mac Williamson Nonroster invites Pitchers (10): RH Shaun Anderson, RH Jamie Callahan, RH Enderson Franco, RH Derek Law, RH Kieran Lovegrove, LH Conner Menez, RH Carlos Navas, RH Keyvius Sampson, LH Garrett Williams, RH Sam Wolff Catchers (3): Joey Bart, Hamlet Marte, Cameron Rupp Infielders (4): Zach Green, Ryan Howard, Levi Michael, Donovan Solano Outfielders (3): John Andreoli, Anthony Garcia, Henry Ramos