The less said about the World Series, the better, I feel. But the good news is, we can now start looking forward to the 2026 campaign, because the wheels are in motion. Below, you’ll find an overview of some of the important dates on the calendar, and what they mean for the Diamondbacks. I’ll pin this just off the front page for reference over the winter.
Today: Free Agents File
Eligible players file for free agency the day after the World Series ends, beginning a five-day “quiet period” where teams can negotiate with their
own free agents, but are unable to sign anyone. Teams must decide whether to extend one-year Qualifying Offers to any free agents. To be eligible for a QO, a player must have spent the entire 2025 season with his team and never previously received one. The obvious name for us will be Zac Gallen. The smart money will be on him declining, but… Any player that does get one will have 10 days to accept or decline it. If a player declines and signs with a new team, then his old team will receive draft pick compensation.
Today: Rawlings Gold Glove Winners announced
Considerably less interest here than last season, when the D-backs had five nominees, more than any other team. This year, our sole representative will be Corbin Carroll, who is going up against Sal Frelick of the Brewers, and the Padres Capt. Ringworm, in center-field.
November 6: Free Agency Opens
Free agency begins and players are free to sign with clubs. This is also the last day that teams can issue Qualifying Offers to eligible free agents.
November 6: 60-day injured list reinstatement
Players that are currently on the 60-day Injured List must be added back to the 40-man roster five days after the World Series ends. We’ve already discussed how this is going to cause a roster crunch for the D-backs, because they have no fewer than nine players on the 60-day IL. It’s going to be bloodier than the whole first season of Spartacus: House of Ashur.
November 6: Contract options deadline
The same day is also the deadline for clubs and players to execute or decline any options built into their current contracts. However, for once, I don’t think the D-backs have any players falling into this category. So we will not have to endure the pain of Jordan Montgomery deciding whether or not to exercise that $22.5 million option, like we did last November.
November 10-13: GM Meetings in Las Vegas
November 10-13: Awards Week
This is when the bulk of the honors get handed out, though the Silver Slugger Awards are announced on November 6-7, and the Heart & Hustle Awards are November 20. I’d expect several D-backs among the former: the NL winners will be on November 6. Otherwise, you’ll get the Rookie + Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP in each league over these four days. Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte should expect strong showings in the NL MVP voting, though it feels like another Ohtani procession.
November 18: Rule 5 Draft Protection deadline
This was also discussed recently, with the team needing to make decisions on which prospects they need to add to the 40-man roster, to protect them. It’s another bit of pressure on the roster, although probably to a smaller degree than the injured list situation.
November 18: Qualifying offer deadline
2 pm Arizona time is point when players – most likely including Zac Gallen – have formally to accept or reject their qualifying offers. Any player not accepting by this date will be considered to have declined, therefore granting his former team draft pick compensation, if they change teams in the off-season. The precise nature of the pick will depend on the value of the contract he signs, and where the team stands in regard to things like revenue sharing and whether they pay Competitive Balance Tax.
November 21: Tender deadlines
This is the deadline to for teams to offer the pre-arbitration and arbitration eligible players a contract for the 2025 season. Players who don’t receive an offer are considered non-tendered and become free agents. Here’s who the D-backs will have to decide on, with their service time and projected salaries for 2026.
- Ryan Thompson (5.095): $3.9MM
- A.J. Puk (5.124): $3.3MM
- Ryne Nelson (3.020): $3.3MM
- Kevin Ginkel (5.033): $3MM
- Gabriel Moreno (3.061): $2.4MM
- Pavin Smith (4.015): $2.4MM
- Alek Thomas (3.103): $2.2MM
- Jake McCarthy (3.074): $1.9MM
- Ildemaro Vargas (5.129): $1.4MM
- John Curtiss (4.078): $1.2MM
- Kyle Nelson (3.081): $1MM
TBD: Hall of Fame Ballot released
After last year’s trio of inductees, things might be a lot quieter this year. Carlos Beltran, who got 70.3% of the votes, might be best-placed to reach the three-quarters needed to reach Cooperstown. But of the players eligible for the first time, only one has a Bill James Hall of Fame Monitor score greater than 62 – a score of 100 is generally seen as likely leading to induction. That player is… Ryan Braun, who comes with so much baggage he could open a luggage store. I’m fairly confident he won’t be making it into the SnakePit Hall of Fame, that’s for sure! Cole Hamels might end up making a better showing.
December 8-11: Winter Meetings in Orlando
December 9: MLB Draft Lottery
A sub-.500 records does give the D-backs a better chance of netting the #1 pick than last year. It helps that three of the teams with worse records than them (Angels, Rockies and Nationals) are barred from consideration. The White Sox have the best odds, followed by the Twins and Pirates. The D-backs are at 1.51% – almost five times better than in 2024.
December 10: Rule 5 Draft
Minor League players not on a team’s 40-man roster who have been in professional baseball for four (for college players) or five (for high school players) are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. During the Major League portion of the draft, any player selected must remain on that team’s active roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original club (with some stipulations around time spent on an Injured List). See our article for more information.
January 8: Salary Arbitration figures exchange date
Players with (more or less) between three and six years of service time are allowed to negotiate with their team on a salary for the coming season. If there’s no agreement, player and team will each submit their offer on this date, and a neutral arbitrator will pick one or the other – there’s no splitting the difference.
January 15: International Signing Period opens
Late January: Hall of Fame voting results announced
March 4-17: World Baseball Classic
This will be unfolding during spring training, though sadly this time, Chase Field is not going to be one of the venues. Japan will be seeking to defend their title, while at the other end, Brazil will be making their first appearance since 2013. Team GB will return, courtesy of their victory over Colombia last time.
