We’re into our brief intermission phase here at BYB, waiting for the offseason. There’s a temptation to jump the gun and write the host of offseason articles we have in the works right now, but as Tigers fans, including ourselves, lick our wounds for a bit, let’s just start setting the offseason stage to a degree.
This is going to be a crucial offseason for the Tigers. That much is obvious. More than likely this is Tarik Skubal’s final season in Detroit. Even if it isn’t, the decisions get a lot more
difficult as a team becomes a contender and tries to take the next step. The 40-man roster decisions get a lot tougher as there are few players on the roster that are just dead weight the way there were throughout the rebuilding years. That ties into having to protect more prospects from the Rule 5 draft with fewer wide open 40-man roster spots to use.
Then there’s the matter of actually re-tooling the major league roster to shore up the pitching staff and hopefully find some ways to upgrade the offense, or at least to balance it out with hitters who make more contact and strike out less, even if they don’t quite pack the same punch as Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Kerry Carpenter do.
These are the key dates and events in the offseason calendar and through the 2026 season.
- Oct 24 – Nov 1: World Series
- Immediately After The World Series: Players Become Free Agents, Trade Market Opens
- 5 Days After Conclusion Of World Series: Contract Options Decisions Due, Qualifying Offers Due
- Nov 10- 13, Las Vegas: General Manager Meetings
- Nov 13: The MLB Awards
- Nov 18, 4 pm: Rule 5 Protection Deadline, Qualifying Offer Decisions due
- Nov 21: Tender Deadline for arbitration eligible players
- Dec TBA: Announcement of Competitive Balance Picks
- Dec 7-10: Winter Meetings (Orlando, FL)
- Dec 10: MLB Draft Lottery
- Dec 10: Rule 5 Draft
- January 2025: BBWAA HOF announcement
- January 9, 2026: Arbitration agreement deadline was Jan 9, 2025
- Jan 15: International Signing Period Opens
- Late January-Early February: Arbitration Hearings est Jan 21- Feb 14, or so
- Mid-February: Report to Spring Training est Feb 14
- February TBA: First Spring Training Game
- March TBA: MLB Spring Breakout
- March 25: MLB Opening Night (Yankees @ Giants)
- March 26: Opening Day- Tigers open at San Diego
- April 3: Tigers home opener vs St Louis
