The Major League Baseball offseason technically began last week, after the Milwaukee Brewers closed out the World Series last Wednesday, and free agency began on Thursday.
Nine Dodgers became free agents last week, headlined by Tarik Skubal and four relievers who were the longest-tenured pitchers on the team’s 40-man roster. By Monday, all major league contract options were resolved and the free agent pool grew to 183 players, now free to sign with whatever team they want.
Monday, the fifth day after
the World Series, was also the day teams could extend qualifying offers to their free agents. Skubal, because he changed teams midseason, was ineligible for a qualifying offer, but eight players on Monday did receive them, a one-year, $23.15 million offer they have until November 17 to accept or decline.
Monday was also the day teams removed players from the 60-day injured list, making them now count against the 40-man roster. For the Dodgers, that meant Ben Casparius, Jake Cousins, Will Klein, and Gavin Stone, giving the team now 37 players on the 40-man roster.
Some teams had roster crunches, and with Monday’s maneuvering 17 different players were claimed off waivers, none by or from the Dodgers, and 30 others were sent outright to the minors and off the 40-man rosters. Nobody was outrighted by the Dodgers yet this offseason.
There might very well be roster moves made in the coming days, but the next tentpole date of the offseason is November 17, when prospects will be added to the 40-man roster to protect them from being plucked in a Rule 5 Draft that this year might not even happen due to the lockout. Then November 20 is the tender deadline, on which players on the roster bubble might become free agents. Last year, Evan Phillips (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Nick Frasso were non-tendered in November, and later re-signed with the team.
