The MLB offseason is about to get loud, and the calendar is the reason why.
The World Series is over, the Milwaukee Brewers are the 2026 champions, and that normally would mean a pretty familiar offseason rhythm: a burst of activity after the Series, more maneuvering around the Winter Meetings in December, then most of the heavy lifting done before the new year. But this winter doesn’t line up with a normal one.
The big wrinkle is the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. It expires in December, and that makes a December 1 lockout feel all but inevitable.
If that happens, everything stops cold until the sides can work out a new agreement. That uncertainty usually would make teams cautious, but this year the opposite may be true.
The market could move fast, and move hard, in November.
We’ve seen this movie before. The last time the CBA expired, clubs came out spending like there was no tomorrow.
Teams combined to pour out $1.7 billion in free agency during November. Six players - Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, and Javier Baez - landed contracts worth at least $100 million before the lockout hit on December 2.
Before 2021, only four free agents in league history had signed a nine-figure deal in November. And it wasn’t just the stars getting paid; the league also saw trades, extensions, and plenty of other business get done in that same stretch.
The Boston Globe called it a “ lockout frenzy.”
That’s why this November is shaping up as a sprint league-wide. The expiration date is almost the same as last time, and that alone could push teams to get deals done before the freeze.
Kansas City sounds ready to play the market that way, too. Royals general manager JJ Picollo spoke during his usual press conference on the first game of the final homestand of the year, and when he was asked about the offseason plan, his answer made the urgency plain:
November is the month where you have to get some work done. I am anxious to see how fast the industry works, but I know our plan is to push the envelope as much as we can because we would much rather have some potential pieces to the puzzle in place before a potential lockout.
Picollo noted that the league’s reaction will ultimately shape how things unfold. Still, the Royals are clearly looking at this offseason like a short window, not a long one.
And they probably won’t be alone. If enough teams take the same approach, November could be a whirlwind.
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Red Sox Face A Franchise Shortstop Question They Can't Duck
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For the Royals, the idea is notable because Witt is already one of the games top talents and is tied to a long-term contract, which makes any pursuit more complicated than a simple deadline rumor. A trade framework involving several Boston prospects has been floated, but there has been no confirmation of actual negotiations, leaving the matter as one of those speculative front-office questions that can sit in the background until someone finally decides whether the asking price is worth it. [Read more 🡒]