The 2026-27 Offseason Begins

Key Points:

• The Milwaukee Brewers won the 2023 World Series, but Major League Baseball now faces a looming lockout as the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires on December 1, with negotiations showing little progress.
• If no new CBA is agreed upon by the deadline, a lockout is expected, similar to the 2021-22 offseason, which saw a freeze on transactions, cancellation of the Winter Meetings, and delays in arbitration and the start of the season.
• Key offseason dates include free agency opening on October 29, qualifying offer decisions by November 17, and the non-tender deadline on November 20, but many events like the Winter Meetings and Rule 5 draft could be canceled or postponed due to the potential lockout.
• The 2023 free agent class is weaker than in 2021, possibly leading to less frantic pre-lockout activity, and teams face difficult decisions regarding protecting prospects ahead of the Rule 5 draft amid uncertainty.
• MLBTR will continue its usual offseason coverage despite the lockout threat, including trade candidate lists, arbitration salary projections, and free agent rankings, while the Hall of Fame voting and international signing periods are expected to proceed as scheduled.