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MLB draft lottery (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Once the MLB postseason ends, the offseason begins in full force, with free agency opening almost immediately and tender deadlines, reserve lists and other key offseason dates arriving soon thereafter.

Below, you’ll find a rundown of key MLB offseason dates set to occur before the end of 2025. All dates are subject to change.

Nov. 1:The scheduled date for Game 7 of the World Series, if necessary.

Day After The World Series Ends:Eligible XX(B) players—players with six or more years of major league service time who are eligible for free agency—become free agents.

Five Days After World Series Ends:Deadline for MLB teams to tender qualifying offers to XX(B) players. Free agency also begins, with players able to negotiate and sign with any club.

Nov. 10-13:General managers meetings in Las Vegas.

Nov. 18-20: Owners meetings in New York City.

Nov. 18: Deadline for XX(B) players to accept qualifying offers and the reserve list deadline for teams to set rosters for the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Both deadlines are set for 4 p.m. ET.

Nov. 21:Tender deadline.

Dec. 8-11:Winter meetings in Orlando.

Dec. 9:MLB Draft lottery (held at 4 p.m. ET, announced on MLB Network at 5:30 p.m. ET). You can find 2026 draft lottery odds here.

Dec. 10: MLB Rule 5 draft (2-4 p.m. ET)

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Oct 12, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

With the Chicago Cubs’ season having come to an end, the questions about Kyle Tucker’s future can start.

One of the biggest prizes on the market entering free agency, the outfielder said after Saturday’s loss in Game 5 of the NL Division Series to the Milwaukee Brewers that he isn’t sure what’s next.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Tucker, who agreed to a $16.5 million deal to avoid arbitration this season. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold. If not, it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing next year or not with them. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”

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The addition of Tucker, who was acquired via trade from the Houston Astros prior to this season, buoyed the Cubs’ hopes of a deep postseason run. And when Tucker was healthy and rolling early in the season, he was a viable MVP candidate and a catalyst in a dynamic, varied offense.

However, Tucker, who turns 29 in January, suffered a fractured right hand in June and a calf strain in September as the Brewers won the NL Central by five games over the Cubs, who landed the top wild-card spot at 92-70.

Still, he slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs and 25 steals in 136 games while earning an All-Star nod for the Cubs this season. He returned in time for the playoffs and was 7-for-27 with a home run and one RBI.

“He meant a lot,” Cubs first baseman Michael Busch told reporters. “The consistency of at-bat. Getting on base and driving [in runs]. He’s just as complete of a hitter as you can get. I think putting him in any lineup, he’s going to be right up at the top. I think he’s one of the best hitters in the game. He can change that lineup just with putting him in there.”

But Tucker and the Cubs never came to an agreement on a long-term deal as the season unfolded.

“I don’t really know right now,” Tucker said when asked if the Cubs have an advantage in signing him as a free agent. “I was more worried about the game tonight and everything. I’ll kind of get through this today and worry about that a little later.

“I think this team is really, really talented. A great group of guys. And I can definitely see this team having a lot of success in the future.”

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and Bradford Doolittle contributed to this report.

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  Jorge CastilloOct 10, 2025, 10:53 AM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

As expected, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next month, a source told ESPN.

Bellinger, 30, has a $25 million player option for next season. After a rebound season in his first year in pinstripes, he presumably will receive widespread interest in free agency — it should yield a lucrative multi-year contract.

The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs last December. For the Cubs, he was a salary dump days after they acquired Kyle Tucker.

For the Yankees, he was part of the swift pivot from Juan Soto. In the end, the 2019 NL MVP ended up being their second-most valuable player.

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Hitting behind Aaron Judge most of the season, Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs and an .813 OPS in 152 games in 2025. He was especially productive against left-handed pitching despite hitting left-handed, leading all left-handed hitters in on-base percentage (.415) and slugging (.601) against lefties.

He was also one of the sport’s top defenders: Bellinger accumulated seven Outs Above Average and eight Defensive Runs Saved between the three outfield positions and first base. He added 13 steals in 15 attempts. His 4.9 fWAR was tied with Kyle Schwarber for 18th in the majors and second on the Yankees behind Judge.

Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million — with opt-outs after the first and second years — with the Cubs before the 2024 season. He had declined the Cubs’ qualifying offer earlier in the offseason.

Other Yankees expected to reach free agency include outfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.

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Two more WWE names have signed with the Paradigm Talent Agency, as the company continues to grow its portfolio of pro wrestlers. According to Sports Business Journal, Paradigm has signed NXT star and current TNA Knockouts World Champion Kelani Jordan, along with WWE LFG season two winner Shiloh Hill. The pair are the first developmental talents in WWE to sign with Paradigm.

Paradigm will support the pair in contract negotiations, as well as with branding outside of the ring and media opportunities. Speaking to SBJ, Paradigm agent Nick LoPiccolo spoke highly of the connection to WWE.

“Paradigm is bullish on WWE talent because the marketplace dictates the demand. If the marketplace takes a turn, we will be at the forefront of that cultural change.”

Paradigm launched its sports initiative in November 2024, after brokering the Jake Paul Vs. Mike Tyson fight on Netflix. Jordan and Hill join CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, Sheamus, Jade Cargill, Liv Morgan, and Alexa Bliss, among other WWE names, to sign with Paradigm.

Both Jordan and Hill are riding high in their current WWE roles. Jordan recently captured the TNA Knockouts Championship that had been vacated by Ash By Elegance. As for Hill, his victory on WWE LFG season 2 has earned the young wrestler an NXT contract.

It remains to be seen what opportunities await Hill and Jordan now they are being represented by Paradigm. For now, it’s clear that the duo are ready to make major moves in and out of the ring.

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Relief pitcher Devin Williams expressed interest in potentially re-signing with the New York Yankees following the team’s playoff elimination at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after the Yanks’ season-ending, 5-2 defeat, Williams said he is “definitely open” to signing a deal that would keep him in New York:

Williams added that he has enjoyed his time with the Yankees despite the challenges he faced during the 2025 season, saying, “At first, it was a challenge, but I’ve grown to love being here. I love the city. … I’ve really enjoyed my experience here.”

Blue Jays vs. Yankees (10/08/2025)

New York acquired Williams in an offseason trade that sent infielder Caleb Durbin and pitcher Nestor Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers.

At the time, it felt like a small price to pay for a pitcher who had been among the most dominant closers in baseball the previous few seasons.

Over his six MLB seasons in Milwaukee before his arrival in New York, Williams posted a 27-10 record with 68 saves, a 1.83 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 375 strikeouts over 235.2 innings.

It seemed like a slam dunk pickup for the Yanks, adding a two-time All-Star, two-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year and the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year to the bullpen.

However, Williams struggled out of the gate in New York and never fully recovered. He struggled through what was the worst statistical season of his career by far, going 4-6 with 18 saves, a 4.79 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 90 strikeouts over 62 innings.

Williams began the season as the Yankees’ closer, but he allowed runs in two of his first four outings and gave up three earned runs in three separate appearances in April alone.

That led to Williams being demoted from the closer role, and although he took it back momentarily, the job ended up going to David Bednar after the Yankees acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline.

The totality of the season was not great for Williams, but he did not surrender a run in any of his final nine regular-season appearances, and from Aug. 10 to Sept. 28, he had a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings.

Williams was also effective in four playoff outings, allowing three hits, two walks and no earned runs, while striking out four.

It is fair to wonder if Williams did enough to interest the Yankees in retaining him, although that may largely depend on his asking price.

Williams, Luke Weaver, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn are all set to hit free agency, while the Yankees have club options on Tim Hill and Jonathan Loaisiga.

Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. are the top relievers still under contract for next season, potentially opening the door for the Yanks to have a much-needed overhaul of their bullpen.

Whether that includes Williams remains to be seen, but given how he ended the 2025 season, he could be a prime bounce-back candidate in 2026.

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As a new season dawns, Nazem Kadri remains the topic of trade speculation. The 35-year-old Calgary Flames center has frequently surfaced in the rumor mill since the summer of 2024, and recently earned a spot on our August NHL Trade Block Big Board.

Kadri has repeatedly denied any intention of asking the retooling Flames for a trade. He’s signed through 2028-29 with an average annual value of $7 million. He also has a full no-movement clause for this season, which becomes a 13-team no-trade list on July 1 for the remainder of his contract.

Nevertheless, speculation persists that Kadri could become a trade candidate. During an Oct. 3 interview with the Flames Nation Barn Burner podcast, TSN’s Darren Dreger said it felt like a long shot that Kadri could be traded this season, but didn’t rule out the possibility of a move at the March trade deadline.

Dreger believes several teams could benefit from Kadri’s aggressive two-way skills, such as the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, and his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Kadri became available, Dreger believes the Flames would seek a high asking price.

Dreger suggested Kadri could become available at the March trade deadline if the Flames were out of playoff contention. Otherwise, he doesn’t see him moving. If the Flames were to peddle him, they might be better off waiting until July 1, when his full no-movement clause ends.

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In an NBA where a rim-protecting big man who shows some athleticism, can set screens and roll hard to the rim — and then finish — has real value, which is why a lot of teams have called and tried to pry Walker Kessler out of Utah. To no avail, he has remained the Jazzâ€s starting center.

That doesnâ€t mean Utah and Kessler are ready to ink his next contract. The sides remain well apart on a deal, and all signs point to Kessler playing out this season then becoming a restricted free agent next summer, reports Tony Jones at The Athletic.

“According to sources, [the Jazz] highly value Kessler and see him as a cornerstone to the future…. So, if the Jazz value Kessler so much, why not extend him now and lock him into a five-year deal?

The answer is simple: money. And the NBA is a business.

The Jazz see themselves trying to end their time near the bottom of the Western Conference standings as soon as next summer. By not signing Kessler now, he would have a cap hold of $14.9 million next summer, which would give the Jazz enough space to keep Kesslerâ€s hold and still do work in free agency.

If the Jazz signed Kessler to a contract extension worth a hypothetical $25 million a season, then next summer Kessler would count for $25 million against the salary cap, reducing the money the Jazz would have in free agency. Because Utah has Kesslerâ€s Bird rights, they can make whatever moves they want next summer and then re-sign Kessler (and go over the cap to do it).

The risk is that other teams have cap space next summer and could come in and try to poach Kessler with a contract that Utah doesnâ€t want to match (the Lakers have had interest in him before and will have cap space next summer). That is not likely, however, regardless of how many other teams have cap space. Ask this yearâ€s restricted free agents Jonathan Kuminga, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas about that — restricted free agency favors the team that has the rights.

Kessler played in 58 games last season averaging 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game. He is a plus defender in the paint who doesnâ€t shoot a lot, but he does heâ€s efficient shooting 66% last season.

For this season, Kessler stays in Utah and plays for his next contract, which also most likely will be in Utah. If he builds on those numbers from last season, it just gets more expensive for the Jazz to keep him.

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The Indiana Pacers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent guard Monte Morris, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

It’s a non-guaranteed deal, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Pacers beat writer Tony East added that it’s an Exhibit 9 contract.

Keith Smith of Spotrac explained what an Exhibit 9 deal entails.

“An Exhibit 9 contract includes a provision that protects the player against injury while under that contract. If a player is injured while on an Exhibit 9 deal, the team is responsible for paying that player $15,000 (this is up from $6,000 in the prior CBA). That $15,000 does hit the salary cap and luxury tax as a form of dead money charge, upon the player being waived.”

The 6’2″ Morris has played eight NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns. The 30-year-old played 45 games off the bench for the Suns last year, averaging 5.2 points on 42.6 percent shooting (36.0 percent from three), 1.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Pacers will play the 2025-26 season without superstar Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Indiana will miss him, but the Pacers still have tremendous depth, as evidenced by its run to the NBA Finals.

Here’s a look at how the depth chart may appear now with Morris aboard (h/t RealGM and CBS Sports).

PG: Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, Monte Morris, RayJ Dennis

SG: Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Kam Jones, Quenton Jackson, Taelon Peter

SF: Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy, Jalen Slawson

PF: Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker

C: Jay Huff/Isaiah Jackson (with the non-starter as the top backup), James Wiseman, Tony Bradley

The Pacers open training camp on Sept. 29. Preseason begins for Indiana on Oct. 7 with the regular season starting on Oct. 23 with an NBA Finals rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home.

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