Here’s a road-map towards Opening Day in 2025
The less said about the World Series, the better, I feel. But the good news is, we can now start looking forward to the 2025 campaign, because the wheels are in motion. Below, you’ll find an overview of some of the important dates on the calendar, and what they mean for the Diamondbacks.
Today: Free Agents File
Eligible players will file for free agency the day after the World Series ends. This will also begin the five-day “quiet period” where teams can negotiate with their own free agents, but are unable to sign anyone. Teams must also decide whether to extend one-year Qualifying Offers to free agents. To be eligible for a Qualifying Offer, a player must have spent the entire 2024 season with his team and never previously received a Qualifying Offer. The latter rules out Joc Pederson, but Christian Walker is eligible and will likely receive a QO. Any player that does get one will have 10 days to accept or decline it. If a player declines and signs with a new team, then his old team will receive draft pick compensation.
November 3: Rawlings Gold Glove Winners announced
The D-backs have a lot of interest here, with five nominees, more than any other team. Walker seems the most likely to be honored, but Ketel Marte, Gabriel Moreno, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jake McCarthy are all also nominated. We looked at their chances when the nominations were announced.
November 4: Free Agency Opens
Free agency begins and players are free to sign with clubs. This is also the last day that teams can issue Qualifying Offers to eligible free agents.
November 4: 60-day injured list reinstatement
Players that are currently on the 60-day Injured List must be added back to the 40-man roster five days after the World Series ends. The Diamondbacks have three pitchers in this category: Drey Jameson, Bryce Jarvis and Kyle Nelson. However, the expected departures of free agents such as Paul Sewald, Josh Bell and Walker should mean there’s no real issue finding slots for our injured trio.
November 4: Contract options deadline
The same day is also the deadline for clubs and players to execute or decline any options built into their current contracts. There are quite a few Diamondbacks here, though a number of them are mutual options, which are very rarely exercised. The full list is:
- Jordan Montgomery: $22.5 million player option
- Eugenio Suarez: $15 million team option
- Joc Pederson: $14 million mutual option
- Merrill Kelly: $7 million team option
- Randal Grichuk: $6 million mutual option
- Scott McGough: $4 million mutual option
November 5-7: GM Meetings in San Antonio
November 11: BBWAA Award Finalists Announced
The D-backs’ main interest is likely to be in the National League MVP Award, where Ketel Marte is a strong contender to make the final three, even if he’s unlikely to beat out the godlike presence of the most amazing human being to grace the surface of this, or any other, planet.
November 12: Louisville Silver Slugger Awards announced
Marte may well be a contender at second-base here, and Eugenio Suarez perhaps deserves acknowledgement at the hot corner.
November 14: Hank Aaron Award, Comeback Player of the Year, Relievers of the Year along with All-MLB First and Second teams announced.
November 18: Rookie of the Year Winners announced
After winning the NL honor last year, courtesy of Corbin Carroll, the D-backs don’t appear to have anyone in the frame this season. The only hitter to lose their rookie status this year was Blaze Alexander: Justin Martinez might potentially get some down-ballot love, having thrown 72.2 innings with an ERA of 2.48.
November 19-21: Owner Meetings in New York
November 19: Qualifying offer deadline
The end of the window by which players receiving Qualifying Offers must make a decision. They can accept, decline or sign a deal elsewhere any time during this window, but any player not accepting by this date will be considered to have declined, therefore granting his former team draft pick compensation, if they change teams in the off-season. For Christian Walker, the precise nature of the pick will depend on the value of the contract he signs.
November 19: Rule 5 protection date
Eligible prospects need to be added to the 40-man roster by this point, otherwise they can potentially be selected by another team.
November 19-21: BBWAA Awards announced
- November 19: Manager of the Year
- November 20: Cy Young Awards
- November 21: MVP awards
November 22: Non-tender deadline
This is the deadline to for teams to offer the pre-arbitration and arbitration eligible players a contract for the 2025 season. Players who don’t receive an offer are considered non-tendered and become free agents. Almost all the arb-eligible D-backs seem certain to be tendered, with the sole question perhaps being Kyle Nelson, who missed the entire 2024 campaign after having Thoracic Outlet surgery.
TBD: Hall of Fame Ballot released
Ichiro and C.C. Sabathia will lead the new entries onto the ballot, while there will also be interest in seeing whether Billy Wagner makes it in his final year of eligibility, having just missed out last time (being named on 73.8% of ballots). Further down the ballot, some former D-backs might be seen, though it’s unlikely they’ll be more than “one and done” candidates. Still it’ll be an honor simply to be listed for the likes of Martin Prado, Mark Trumbo and Mark Reynolds.
December 8-12: Winter Meetings in Dallas
December 8: The Classic Baseball Era Committee meeting
December 10: MLB Draft Lottery
Despite not being eliminated until the day AFTER they played their final game, the Diamondbacks still actually have a shot at getting the overall #1 pick in next year’s draft. Their shot is apparently 0.31%. So you’re telling me there’s a chance? Amusingly, that’s actually better than the historically-bad White Sox. They are ineligible to pick higher than tenth. because a team which is not part of MLB revenue-sharing cannot be in the lottery consecutive seasons, and Chicago were in it last year.
December 11: Ford Frick Award winner announced
December 11: Rule 5 Draft
Minor League players not on a team’s 40-man roster who have been in professional baseball for four (for college players) or five (for high school players) are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. During the Major League portion of the draft, any player selected must remain on that team’s active roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original club (with some stipulations around time spent on an Injured List).
January 10: Salary Arbitration figures exchange date
Players with (more or less) between three and six years of service time are allowed to negotiate with their team on a salary for the coming season. If there’s no agreement, player and team will each submit their offer on this date, and a neutral arbitrator will pick one or the other – there’s no splitting the difference. See our previous coverage for more details