Baseball's Open Market Begins Monday as Qualifying-Offer Deadline Arrives

Baseball's offseason reaches its first major checkpoint on Monday, when the five-day exclusive negotiating window closes and the open market begins. From 5 p.m. ET on November 2, free agents can sign with any club, ending a quiet period in which players could only discuss terms with their previous teams. Monday is also the deadline for clubs to make two kinds of decisions that shape the winter. Teams must decide on outstanding contract options, and they must choose whether to extend a qualifying offer, worth $23.15 million, to eligible free agents. Players who receive one then have until November 17 to accept or reject it, and the general managers meetings in Las Vegas follow on November 10-12. The calendar matters more than usual this winter because the sport's collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, with a potential lockout looming from December 2 if no deal is reached. That backdrop gives teams and agents every reason to move early, before the market freezes. Awards season runs alongside the negotiations, with Manager of the Year winners due on November 10. For fans, Monday is the day the rumour mill turns into real movement: after weeks of option decisions and speculation, clubs can finally put pen to paper with players from other teams.