Important dates for Mariners offseason

It’s not quite time to fire up the hot stove, but baseball season will soon begin for the Seattle Mariners.

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Here are some important dates you may want to keep an eye on.

• Free agency begins the day after the World Series ends. At that time, players and new teams can talk to each other, but players cannot be signed until five days later at 2 p.m. However, a team can sign one of its own free agents within that five-day period. The Mariners have just two players set to become free agents: first baseman Justin Turner and relief pitcher Yimi García, their two trade deadline acquisitions from Toronto.

• Contract options must be exercised within five days of the end of the World Series. For the Mariners, a decision will have to be made on whether to pick up the $12 million option on second baseman Jorge Polanco’s contract or give him a $750,000 buyout.

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• Another decision teams must make in the first five days after the World Series is whether or not to extend the qualifying offer to their eligible free agents. The Mariners have no eligible players as Turner and Garcia were acquired during the season.

• The fifth day after the end of the World Series is also the recovery deadline for all players on the 60-day injured list. García, utility player Sam Haggerty and relievers Matt Brash and Jackson Kowar finished the season on Seattle’s 60-day IL. With two free agents coming off the 40-man roster – which currently stands at 39 – no moves are needed to get them back on their feet. The Mariners have three open spots.

• November 4-7: General manager meetings in San Antonio, Texas. General Managers from all 30 clubs meet to discuss matters such as rule changes, but there is also plenty of talk about trade, often laying the groundwork for future deals and occasionally completing transactions.

• November 18: The Hall of Fame voting is announced. Ichiro and Félix Hernández will be on the ballot for the first time.

• November 19: Deadline for teams to add eligible minor league players to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft.

• November 22: Deadline for non-tendering. Players eligible for pre-arbitration and arb must be offered a contract before this date or they will become free agents. Players eligible for Mariners arbitration with salary projections from MLBTraderumors.com:

RP Austin Voth: $2.2 million
RP JT Charge: $1.7 million
ALS Luis Urias: $5 million
RP Trent Thornton: $2.1 million
FROM Randy Arozarena: $11.7 million
AS Josh Rojas: $4.3 million
OR/IF Sam Haggerty: $900,000
SP Logan Gilbert: $8.1 million
RP Tayler Saucedo: $1 million
C Cal Raleigh: $5.6 million
RP Gabe Speier: $900,000
SP George Kirby: $5.5 million

• December 8-11: Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas. The largest gathering in baseball with organizations, media and agents all in one place. Deals happen here. Sometimes a lot, sometimes little. Anyway, it’s four days of baseball news. Outside of the trades and signings, the Rule 5 Draft and MLB Draft lottery will take place here.

• December 11: The winner of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award has been announced. Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims is among the ten finalists.

• January 9: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players who have not yet agreed to a 2025 contract to exchange salary figures and submit them for arbitration. The hearings will take place in late January/early February.

• Mid-January: The international signing period begins.

• February: Pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The date for the Mariners’ report has yet to be determined.

MLB Prize Schedule

• October 15 – Gold Glove Finalists
• During the World Series – winner of the Roberto Clemente Award
• November 3 – Golden Gloves Winners
• November 4 – Silver Slugger Finalists
• November 11 – BBWAA Finalists
• November 12 – Silver Slugger winners
• November 19 – Manager of the Year
• November 20 – Cy Young Awards
• November 21 – MVP Awards

More Seattle Mariners coverage

• Where the Mariners prospects rank in the latest MLB Pipeline update
• Mariners send prospect to Rays to complete Arozarena trade
• Mariners appoint Kevin Martinez as president of operations
• ESPN’s Jeff Passan: The three positions Mariners must address
• Morosi: What the Seattle Mariners priority should be this season

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