The timeline for the upcoming baseball season is packed with key dates for fans and players alike. To start off the month of January, salary arbitration figures will be exchanged on the 9th, while the international signing period will commence on January 15 at 9 a.m. EST. Additionally, January 21 marks the announcement of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame vote in Cooperstown, New York, at 6 p.m. EDT. From January 27 to February 14, St. Petersburg, Florida will host salary arbitration hearings, concluding a busy January.
Moving into February, team owners will hold their meetings in Palm Beach, Florida on February 5 and 6. The Cubs will have their voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers, and injured players on February 9, followed by the Dodgers on February 10. Other teams will follow suit with their own voluntary reporting dates on February 12. Mandatory reporting for the Cubs and Dodgers’ remaining players will occur on February 14, with other teams expected to report their players on February 17. The excitement builds as exhibition games kick off on February 20, and a mandatory reporting date is set for February 22.
March will see the period for renewing contracts for unsigned players on 40-man rosters occurring from March 2 to March 11. The last opportunity to place a player on waivers for a 30-day termination pay will be on March 9, followed by the Spring Breakout event running from March 13 to 16. The Dodgers and Cubs are scheduled for an exhibition match in Tokyo on March 18-19, while March 25 is the final date to place a player on waivers for 45 days of termination pay. The league-wide opening day for other teams is on March 27, where active rosters will be trimmed to 26 players.
As the summer approaches, the Futures Game will take place in Atlanta on July 12, followed by the amateur draft from July 13 to 15. Atlanta will also host the Home Run Derby on July 14 and the All-Star Game on July 15. The Hall of Fame inductions will be celebrated in Cooperstown, New York, on July 27. Plans for the trading deadline will be confirmed with a TBA date in July. An exciting matchup between the New York Mets and Seattle will unfold in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on August 17.
August 31 marks the last day a player can be in an organization to qualify for postseason eligibility. The first day of September will see active rosters expand to 28. Following the regular season’s conclusion on September 28, teams will prepare for the offseason, which includes important deadlines in November for qualifying offers.
Finally, fans can anticipate the Hall of Fame and Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee vote announcement on December 7 in Orlando, Florida, followed by the winter meetings from December 7 to 10. On December 10, the Rule 5 draft will take place in Orlando, concluding with the international signing period closing at 5 p.m. EST on December 15.
All these events lead into what promises to be an exciting year in baseball as teams prepare for the challenges and triumphs ahead.
