Here are key offseason dates to remember for the Philadelphia Phillies and the larger baseball world this winter.
5 p.m. ET, Five Days After World Series Ends
Teams can begin to sign free agents from other teams, although baseball isn’t like NFL and NBA where there’s a frenzy when the signing period opens. Baseball’s free agency is much more of a slow burn.
This is also the deadline to extend qualifying offers to potential free agents. This year’s qualifying offer will be worth $21.05 million. Players can either accept the qualifying offer and make that salary for 2025 with their current club, or decline it and then their team gets draft compensation if they depart in free agency.
The notable free agents for the Phillies — Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estévez and Spencer Turnbull — are not going to receive a QO. However, some potential free-agent targets could.
Nov. 5-7: MLB GM Meetings
This year’s GM meetings will be held in San Antonio, Texas. This isn’t usually an event that includes a ton of transactions, though it’s long been believed that major moves that happen later in the offseason are set in motion by conversations at the GM meetings.
The Phillies did acquire Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros in a trade during the 2007 GM meetings.
Dec. 9-12: MLB Winter Meetings
The hot stove traditionally begins to burn in earnest at the MLB Winter Meetings.
- The Phillies and Trea Turner agreed to an 11-year deal during the 2022 Winter Meetings.
- Cliff Lee returned to the Phillies on a five-year/$120 million during the 2010 Winter Meetings.
- Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrwoski acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins in 2007 when he was leading the Detroit Tigers front office. That was one of the most consequential deals in modern MLB history.
Feb. 22: First Spring Training Game
Pitchers and catchers typically report to Spring Training in Clearwater. The Phillies will begin Grapefruit League play on Feb. 22, when they travel to Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland to take on the Detroit Tigers.
March 27: Opening Day
The Phillies will open their 2025 slate against the Nationals at in Washington D.C. It will be the first time that the Phillies have opened their season at Nationals Park since 2010, when Roy Halladay made his team debut during an 11-1 victory.
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