The World Series is going on this week, but after that we are officially into the offseason. Here are some key dates to remember this fall and winter.
First day after the World Series (6 a.m. PT): Players with at least six years of major league service time (plus occasionally some international free agents who had free agency written into their contract) who don’t have a contract for 2027 are officially free agents.
Dodgers free agents: Tarik Skubal, Eric Lauer, Kris Bubic, Kiké Hernández, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and the retiring Miguel Rojas.
Fifth day after the World Series (2 p.m. PT): The end of baseball’s “quiet period,” after which free agents are allowed to sign with a new team (they can re-sign with their previous team at any time). Also, this is the deadline for teams to extend a qualifying offer to free agents.
No Dodgers will receive a qualifying offer. Tarik Skubal would have been the lone option, but because he was traded in-season he is not eligible to receive a qualifying offer.
Tuesday to Thursday, November 17-19: MLB owners meetings in New York City.
Tuesday, November 17: Reserve lists filed, with prospects added to the 40-man roster.
Among Dodgers newly eligible for the Rule 5 Draft who could be added here are pitchers Christian Zazueta, Jackson Ferris, and Adam Serwinowski, and infielder Jake Gelof.
Tuesday, November 17 (1 p.m. PT): Deadline for players to accept qualifying offer.
Friday, November 20: Tender deadline
Players who usually don’t get tendered a contract here are arbitration-eligible players on the roster bubble, injured or otherwise, or perhaps players out of options who are also on the roster bubble. Landon Knack, who used his option years from 2024-26, qualifies for the latter.
Last year, Evan Phillips and Nick Frasso were non-tendered, making them free agents. Phillips, who was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, re-signed with the Dodgers in February.
Tuesday, December 1 (8:59 p.m. PT): Collective bargaining agreement expires. MLB owners will lock out the players the moment after this expiration.
“In a bizarre way, it’s actually a positive,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Evan Drellich at The Athletic in 2025. “There is leverage associated with an offseason lockout and the process of collective bargaining under the NLRA works based on leverage. The great thing about offseason lockouts is the leverage that exists gets applied between the bargaining parties.”
During the lockout during the 2021-22 offseason, an agreement on a new CBA was reached on March 10, and the start of the regular season schedule was delayed by two weeks.
Monday to Wednesday, December 7-9: MLB winter meetings
Expected to be canceled or at least postponed, including the MLB Draft lottery (December 8) and Rule 5 Draft (December 9).
Friday, January 8, 2027: Salary arbitration exchange date.
Players eligible for salary arbitration — Dodgers here include Andy Pages, Emmet Sheehan, Brock Stewart, Gavin Stone, Alex Call, and Jake Cousins — and teams file salary figures on this date, which tends to become a soft deadline of sorts, on which several deals are made. This will also likely be postponed by the lockout.