Key MLB offseason dates: When does free agency start? What else will happen before potential lockout? — SkimNews
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- Eligible players become free agents at 9 a.m. ET on Oct. 29, cannot sign with new teams during a five-day exclusive negotiating window with their current clubs, and 40-man roster trades resume that day.
- Free agency opens to all teams at 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 2 after the exclusive negotiating period ends.
- Contract options are due for most clubs by Nov. 2; notable decisions include the Braves picking up Ronald Acuña Jr.’s $17 million club option and Bo Bichette’s two-year, $84 million Mets opt-out.
- Qualifying offer is set at $23.15 million for one year, with clubs required to extend offers by Nov. 2 and free agents required to respond by 4 p.m. ET Nov. 17; the Mariners can offer Randy Arozarena one, but the Dodgers cannot offer Tarik Skubal one because he was traded during the season.
- Non-tender deadline is Nov. 20, when teams must extend 2027 offers to pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players; players receiving no offer immediately become free agents.
- CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, with owners expected to lock out players and halt all major-league trades, 40-man signings and negotiations.
- Post-Dec. 1 events remain subject to change: the Dec. 6 Hall of Fame Classic Baseball Committee result is explicitly unaffected, while the Dec. 7-9 Winter Meetings in San Diego carry asterisks because of CBA uncertainty.
Why it matters: Free agents and clubs must resolve the $23.15 million qualifying offer by Nov. 17 and non-tender decisions by Nov. 20 before the CBA expires Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET. If owners lock out players, no 40-man signings, trades or negotiations can occur, so roster uncertainty cannot be resolved through normal club-to-club deals.
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