2026-27 MLB Offseason: Key Dates

The Brewers, Dodgers, Guardians, and Rays are giving all of us some exciting baseball to watch this week. Yet, if you aren’t closely following one of those teams, you’re probably already thinking ahead to the offseason.

In a few weeks, we’ll start to see trades, free agent signings, and hopefully a few NPB postings. Teams and players will begin making difficult decisions about options, qualifying offers, roster spots, and more. Awards season will give us a chance to celebrate individual players (and argue about what the voters got wrong).

Then, of course, there’s the CBA of it all. The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA will expire this offseason, and another lockout seems inevitable. In a best-case scenario, a lockout would postpone several key events. In a worst-case scenario, it could put the 2027 season in jeopardy.

As the postseason field narrows, here is every date you need to know during the 2026-27 MLB offseason, from when it begins to when everything might shut down.

When Does the Offseason Start?

2026 World Series Schedule

• Game 1: October 23
• Game 2: October 24
• Game 3: October 26
• Game 4: October 27
• Game 5: October 28
• Game 6: October 30
• Game 7: October 31

Technically, the offseason begins the day after the World Series ends. That will fall somewhere between October 28 and November 1. At that point, all players on expiring contracts will become free agents, and the trade market will re-open.

However, for the first five days post-World Series, free agents are only allowed to re-sign with their former team. Clubs can start negotiating with free agents from other teams, but they can’t finalize any deals.

The Fifth Day After the World Series: November 1-5

The fifth day after the World Series is a big day. This year, it could fall anywhere from November 1 (if the World Series ends in four games) to November 5 (if the World Series goes the distance).

This is when free agents are eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 teams. But that’s not all. Here’s everything else that happens on this very important date:

• Players and teams must exercise all contract options by day five.
• Teams must issue qualifying offers by day five.
• Teams must reinstate players from the 60-day IL.
• Eligible minor leaguers (who have not already elected free agency) become free agents.

Time-wise, the deadline for each of these things to happen is typically 5:00 pm ET.

When Are the GM Meetings?

The GM Meetings usually aren’t that interesting, but considering we might not get the Winter Meetings this offseason, the GM Meetings could be an event worth following.

This year’s GM Meetings will take place from November 9-12 in Las Vegas.

BBWAA Awards

The four major BBWAA awards will be announced in mid-November, starting with the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards on November 9, followed by the Manager of the Year Awards on November 10, the Cy Young Awards on November 11, and finally the MVP Awards on November 12.

It’s not yet known when the BBWAA will announce its inaugural Reliever of the Year Award winners.

MLB Awards Show

The MLB Awards celebration will take place on November 11. Fans can watch on MLB Network as several awards are announced, including the Hank Aaron Awards, the Edgar Martinez Award, the Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman Awards, the Comeback Player of the Year Awards, and the All-MLB Teams.

When Is the Qualifying Offer Deadline?

The deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers is the fifth day after the conclusion of the World Series. The deadline for players to accept a qualifying offer is 10 days after that. That means we’ll know who has or has not accepted the QO by November 11 at the earliest and November 15 at the latest.

Time-wise, the cutoff for players to accept a QO is typically 4:00 pm ET on deadline day.

This year’s qualifying offer is reported to be $23.15 million.

When Is the Deadline To Protect Players From the Rule 5 Draft?

This deadline is not tied to when the World Series ends. To protect eligible players from the Rule 5 draft, teams must add them to their 40-man roster by 6:00 pm ET on November 17. Accordingly, teams also need to make any necessary transactions to free up 40-man space before this deadline.

The last time there was a lockout (during the 2021-22 offseason), the Rule 5 draft was ultimately cancelled. If there is another lockout coming, there’s a very good chance this year’s draft will be cancelled as well. However, since there is no way to know for sure what’s going to happen, teams are still likely to protect their most valuable prospects.

When Is the Non-Tender Deadline?

This is another deadline that’s already set in stone. Teams must tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players by November 20. Otherwise, those players are said to be “non-tendered,” and they become free agents.

The exact timing of the deadline isn’t yet clear. Last year, it was 5:00 pm ET, but for several years before that, it wasn’t until 8:00 pm ET.

When Will the Lockout Begin?

Technically, there’s no guarantee that the owners will initiate a lockout this offseason. However, the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) will expire on December 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

If the two sides have not reached an agreement on a new CBA by then – and it’s unlikely they will – MLB’s owners are expected to lock out the players starting December 2. If that happens, major league players and team representatives would be prohibited from communicating with one another. This would also lead to a transaction freeze.

As for when the lockout might end? That’s anyone’s guess. The last lockout lasted from December 2, 2021 to March 10, 2022. As a result, some important offseason events (like the Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 draft) were cancelled, while many others had to be postponed. The start of the regular season itself was pushed back eight days.

The Winter Meetings

The 2026 MLB Winter Meetings are currently scheduled for December 7-9 in San Diego. Most people expect these to be cancelled.

The two most consequential events that take place during the Winter Meetings are the draft lottery and the Rule 5 draft. The draft lottery will likely be postponed until there is a new CBA in place (presuming the draft lottery still exists under the new CBA).

Meanwhile, the Rule 5 draft is in danger of being cancelled altogether. The longer a potential lockout lasts, the more likely it is that the Rule 5 draft won’t take place.