If you are an Atlanta Braves fan hoping to learn all the key offseason dates this winter, don't get too comfortable. While some of the early dates are set in stone, an impending lockout could throw the entire MLB offseason in flux. Because of that, most baseball pundits expect November to be a flurry of action.
The Braves have key decisions to make at nearly every offseason juncture. Whether it is impending free agents or non-tender decisions, Alex Anthopoulos and company have an important offseason on their hands. With the end of the World Series finally arriving, here are some of the most important offseason dates you need to know.
Key offseason dates for Braves fans to know
Nov. 1 - Beginning of MLB Award season
If you are into award season, things kick off on November 1, when the Gold Glove awards are announced. Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, and Mauricio Dubon are all Gold Glove finalists at their respective positions. Elsewhere, Chris Sale and Walt Weiss figure to place high in NL Cy Young and Manager of the Year balloting.
First day after the World Series concludes
Once the World Series wraps up, Atlanta has the chance to strike a deal with impending free agents like Tyler Mahle and Raisel Iglesias. This five day negotiating window grants Alex Anthopoulos a slight advantage in hopes Atlanta can retain some of their soon-to-be free agent talent.
November 2 - Fifth day after the end of the World Series
Free agency officially opens on the fifth day after the conclusion of the World Series. As mentioned previously, transactions could come early and often given the uncertainty around the rest of the offseason. Braves fans are hopeful the team can make a splash and improve the roster before the dust settles on the current CBA deal.
Nov. 10-12 - General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas
Normally a quiet precursor to the Winter Meetings later in the offseason, this year the GM Meetings could feature fireworks as teams are motivated to make moves before the lockout begins.
Nov. 17 (4 pm ET): - Deadline for players to accept a qualifying offer and club option decisions
It seems unlikely the Braves will provide the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to any of the team’s free agents. Ha-Seong Kim, Raisel Iglesias, and Mauricio Dubon do not warrant that much AAV, and because Tyler Mahle was a midseason acquisition, he is not eligible to receive a qualifying offer.
Additionally, this is the deadline for the Braves to make contract decisions on any players with club options for the upcoming season. Ronald Acuña Jr. ($17 million) and Ozzie Albies ($7 million) are both extremely likely to have their club options exercised.
Nov. 20 - Tender deadline
The Braves will have until this date to decide whether they will tender contracts to their six arbitration-eligible players: Bryce Elder, James Karinchak, Michael Grove, Dylan Lee, Joey Wentz, and Luke Williams. Each player's arb projection can be found here.
Dec. 1 - CBA runs out (lockout likely ensues)
Cue the chaos. The arrival of December means the current CBA deal has expired. The MLB owners and MLBPA will then have to negotiate tirelessly on a new deal. With several hot-button topics to address across baseball, all signs point toward a lengthy lockout period that can nuke all remaining offseason dates.
Dec. 7-10 - MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando
The Winter Meetings are typically where big-time moves go down. However, with a presumed lockout, no team will have the ability to make the splashy offseason move their fanbase desperately wants.
Dec. 8 - MLB Draft Lottery
This is where the upcoming draft order is revealed. With the draft system in place, having the worst record in the league is no longer a guarantee of securing a top pick in next year's draft. Not guaranteed to happen with the lockout and upcoming CBA changes.
Dec. 9 - Rule 5 Draft
This is where rebuilding teams look to pluck fringe roster players off of other squads. The Braves are not normally active in the MLB portion of this draft, although things can change. There is also a very good chance that the Rule 5 Draft is cancelled this year, as was the case during the last lockout.
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