The 2025 Major League Baseball season officially came to an end Saturday evening, and as our calendars turn to November, the offseason has begun. All 30 teams will begin the process of building their 2026 club, with some teams looking to add in hopes of improving, and some teams looking to rebuild and get younger. The White Sox, coming off a 19-win improvement from 2024, should fall into the former category, though the extent to which they’ll add is unclear at this point. Unlike other sports, baseball will not have the bulk of the offseason moves taking place within the first week that free agency opens. There are several deadlines and dates throughout the offseason that will be crucial to keep an eye on. Here is an easy guide:
Thursday, November 6th, 2025: Team/Player Options, Qualifying offers, and free agency open
The first major date to keep in mind will occur later this week. Teams and players with options in their contract have five days after the conclusion of the World Series to make a decision on whether to accept or decline those options. Players with opt-outs in their contract will also need to decide by this date whether or not to use them. For the White Sox, this means decisions will be made on LHP Martin Perez and OF Luis Robert Jr, though the latter should just be a formality. Any team that plans to extend a qualifying offer to a player must also offer it by this date. A player is eligible for a qualifying offer if they have never received one before, and spent the entire 2025 season with the same team. This is unlikely to affect the White Sox, as they don’t have any players likely to receive a qualifying offer. Thursday will also be the end of the exclusive five-day negotiating window for teams with their own free agents, and free agents will be eligible to sign with any team beginning November 6th.
November 10-13th: MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas, NV
All 30 MLB General Managers will meet for a few days to discuss rule changes and other league business for the upcoming offseason. While this time period doesn’t usually result in a flurry of activity, having every GM in one place naturally allows the groundwork to be laid for future moves.
Tuesday, November 18th, 2025: Qualifying Offer acceptance and Rule 5 protection deadline
Any players who have received a qualifying offer have until November 18th to decide whether or not they will accept it. If they do not, their previous team will receive draft pick compensation if they sign elsewhere. This one will not affect the White Sox directly, but it’s worth watching to gauge this year’s free agent market. Teams will also need to add any Rule 5 eligible players to their 40 man roster by this date to protect them. For the White Sox, this means Mason Adams, Shane Murphy, Peyton Pallette, Aldrin Batista, Tanner McDougal, and Tyler Schweitzer must all be added to the roster or they are at risk of being picked by another team in Rule 5. It seems unlikely that the team will be able to protect everyone on this list, so this will be one to keep an eye on.
Friday, November 21st, 2025: Non-Tender Deadline
By this date, all teams will have to decide whether or not to tender a contract to each of their arbitration eligible players. For the White Sox, OF Mike Tauchman is the most interesting name to watch in this group. RHP Steven Wilson and OF Derek Hill are also arbitration eligible, and the White Sox will have to decide whether to tender a contract or allow these players to hit free agency by November 21.
December 7-10, 2025: Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL
Unlike the GM meetings, the winter meetings will be one of the busiest weeks of the offseason. Players, agents, executives, and coaches will converge on Orlando with deals on their minds. Most teams walk away with at least one transaction in the books, so look for the White Sox to be active during this week. Both the 2026 Draft lottery and the Rule 5 draft will take place during these meetings. Thanks to the lottery rules deeming the Rockies ineligible, the White Sox will have the top odds at the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft. They will also pick second in the Rule 5 draft, which famously landed them Shane Smith last season.
Mid-February, 2026: Spring Training begins
While the official spring training report dates are not yet set, the dates are expected to be consistent with past years, and camps will likely open in the second week of February. This will start with pitchers and catchers reporting, and the remaining position players will follow a week or so later. Spring training games will begin toward the end of the month, with the 2026 season set to commence at the end of March.