Everything you need to know about this upcoming offseason
With the season concluded, that means only one thing for the MLB: offseason. After the Astros loss in the Wild Card round to the Detroit Tigers, the offseason was where their focus went to.
Let’s take a look at the schedule with all the important dates for this coming offseason.
October 31 – Free agents file (Day after conclusion of World Series)
The day after the last game of the World Series, players who are eligible for free agency are able to file. This is followed by a five-day period known as the “quiet period”. This is a five day window where other teams are not able to sign any players. This gives teams a chance to talk to any player they lost to free agency and hopefully negotiate a contract before other teams start contacting them.
Since they finished their season, there have not been any extensions singed by anyone on the team so far. The Astros have eight players that are hitting the free agent market this offseason and there are some that will receive qualifying offers. Alex Bregman is the only player on the roster that is getting one without a doubt and others like Yusei Kikuchi and Jason Heyward could also get one in hopes of keeping them on the squad I next season.
Each player that receives a qualifying offer from the club has 10 days to accept it or decline it. If a player declines the offer, the Astros will be awarded a compensation pick for the upcoming draft.
November 3: Gold Gloves
The Astros have three nominees for Gold Gloves: Alex Bregman (3B), Jake Meyers (CF) and Mauricio Dubon (UTL)
November 4: Free agency begins
Starting five days after the conclusion of the World Series, this marks the final day that teams are allowed to make qualifying offers or that players are allowed to decide on options for the contracts. Starting on this day, players are officially free agents and allowed to talk to other teams.
If Bregman and others who received qualifying offers choose to decline them, this is the day they are officially allowed to look at other contracts and look for other destinations for next season.
November 4-7: GM Meetings
Different than the Winter Meeting, the GM meeting is where all the GMs of the teams gather to discuss off the field matters, like any rule changes that need to be made. This also could set up potential trade talks, depending on who is doing the talking.
November 5: Executive of the Year
An award going to the single best executive, which can include general managers or presidents. The award is announced during the MLB’s annual GM meeting.
November 8: Platinum Gloves
With one going to a player in each league, the winners are announced during the Rawlings Gold Glove dinner, where the Gold Glove winners are presented with their trophies.
November 12: Silver Sluggers
Awarded to the best hitter at each position every year, the finalist for each position will be announced on TV on November 4th and the winners announced on the 12th.
Kyle Tucker is the only Astro that won the award last season, winning it for one of the three outfield spots.
November 14
· All-MLB Teams
· Hank Aaron Awards
· Reliever of the Year
· DH of the Year
· Comeback Player of the Year
November 19: Qualifying offer deadline
The last day the players are allowed to accept or decline offers made by teams. It is common for these to get turned down by the players, but they have until 3 p.m. to accept the offers. Teams who make offers that players decline are awarded draft compensation and if a player if offered and they sign with another team, the new team must forfeit both a draft pick and international bonus money.
November 19: Rule-5 protection deadline
This is the last day teams are allowed to add minor league players to their roster, which protects them from the Rule-5 draft.
November 18 – 21: BBWAA Awards
· Nov 18: Rookie of the Year
· Nov 19: Manager of the Year
· Nov 20: Cy Young Awards
· Nov 21: MVP Awards
November 22: Non-tender deadline
For players that have less than six years of service time and are still under arbitration, this is the final day they can be offered contracts. That does not mean they have to be signed, but if players on the 40-man roster don’t have offers, they become free agents.
December 9-12: Winter Meetings
The main even of the offseason, this is when the most happens. Trades and signings are going on constantly during this period, with GMs talking left and right. This is four days full of action.
December 10: MLB draft lottery
Teams find out who gets the No. 1 pick in the 2025 MLB draft. I shouldn’t have to say it, but obviously the Astros are not getting it.
December 11: Rule 5 draft
Any young players who did not get a tendered offer and are available can be picked up by other clubs.
January 9: Arbitration filing deadline
This is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration numbers. The Astros have 10 players who are eligible for arbitration this offseason at the time of writing this, but that number could go down any day. The team hopefully will try and avoid arbitration with most of the players and agree to a one-year or long-term contract.
January 21: Hall of Fame Announcement
On MLB Network at 5 p.m. they will announce the people who will be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Needing over 75% of the votes to get in, the Astros currently have two players in the Hall, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.
January 27 – February 14: Arbitration hearings
For any players and teams that were not able to come to an agreement on a number during the arbitration period, they take their numbers to what is known as an appeal trial. Both the team and the player present their case to a panel of people and the decide what number the player will earn in the coming season.
February 20: Spring Training begins
While moves and signings can still be made at this point, players and coaches report to their offseason facilities, in our case out in Florida, and start to prepare for next season. All teams are expected to be playing by the 22nd.