The 2026 Major League Baseball season has come to an end, and all 30 organizations are now shifting their focus toward building their rosters for the upcoming campaign. Free agency, contract negotiations, trades and the announcement of individual award winners will headline an offseason expected to feature plenty of activity.

However, one major issue could reshape the 2026-27 MLB offseason calendar: the looming threat of a lockout. As teams begin mapping out their plans for the winter, the possibility of a labor dispute between team owners and the MLB Players Association has cast uncertainty over much of the business scheduled for the coming months.

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2026-27 MLB offseason calendar: Key dates to know

Here are the most important dates on the Major League Baseball offseason calendar, from the opening of free agency to the start of the 2027 season:

• October 29: Free agency officially opens. Eligible players enter the market, although they must wait five days before negotiating with or signing with other teams. Trades involving players on 40-man rosters also resume.
• November 1: Gold Glove Award winners are announced.
• November 2: Free agents are allowed to negotiate and sign with any team. This is also the deadline for clubs and players to make decisions on contract options, opt-out clauses and qualifying offers.
• November 9: American League and National League Rookie of the Year winners are announced.
• November 9-12: General Managers Meetings take place in Las Vegas, where front offices begin laying the groundwork for their offseason strategies.
• November 10: Manager of the Year winners are announced.
• November 11: Winners of the Cy Young Awards, Reliever of the Year Awards, Comeback Player of the Year Awards and Hank Aaron Awards are revealed. The All-MLB Teams are also announced.
• November 12: American League and National League MVP winners are announced.
• November 17: Deadline for players to accept or reject qualifying offers, valued at $23.15 million this year. Teams must also add eligible prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. Silver Slugger Award winners are announced. Owners' Meetings are scheduled for November 17-19 in New York.
• November 20: Deadline for teams to tender contracts to players eligible for salary arbitration. Those who are non-tendered become free agents and can negotiate with any organization.
• December 1: The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between MLB and the Players Association expires at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• December 6: New members of the Baseball Hall of Fame elected by the Contemporary Era Committee are announced.
• December 7-9: Winter Meetings take place in San Diego, traditionally one of the busiest stretches of the offseason for free-agent signings and trades.
• December 8: MLB Draft Lottery is held.
• December 9: Rule 5 Draft takes place.
• December 15: The 2026 international signing period closes.
• January 8: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures.
• January 15: The 2027 international signing period opens.
• January 19: New Hall of Fame members elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) are announced.
• Early February: Salary arbitration hearings are scheduled to begin.
• February 19: Scheduled start of Spring Training.
• March 24: Early Opening Day game of the 2027 MLB season, with participating teams to be announced.
• March 25: Opening Day for the other 28 Major League teams.
• March 26: Triple-A regular-season play is scheduled to begin.

The potential for a work stoppage in late 2026 looms over the entire MLB offseason.

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A looming lockout could disrupt MLB's offseason calendar

While Major League Baseball has an established schedule for the offseason, many of these activities could be affected by the labor dispute on the horizon. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on December 1, and if the two sides fail to reach a new agreement, team owners could impose a lockout.

Such a move would freeze negotiations between clubs and players on 40-man rosters, bringing much of MLB's usual offseason business to a halt. Events such as the Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 Draft and salary arbitration proceedings could face changes, delays or even cancellations.

As we explained in our analysis of a potential MLB lockout and its implications for player salaries and free agency, negotiations over the next collective bargaining agreement will be crucial to the immediate future of the sport.

For now, the offseason calendar remains intact. But the uncertainty surrounding labor negotiations could make this one of the most unusual MLB offseasons in recent memory.

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