It’s been a quiet few weeks for the Red Sox, who have been sitting on the sidelines watching the MLB playoffs unfold, but things will quickly improve in the days to come.

Once the World Series is over, the baseball world will shift into offseason mode, and throughout the month of November there will be a near-daily rhythm of dates and deadlines that will be of interest. So, what can fans expect? Here’s a quick look at the offseason schedule and how things will play out this winter.

The free agent market will intensify

The free agent and trade markets officially open the day after the World Series ends, but free agents cannot sign with new clubs until five days later, giving clubs an exclusive five-day window to recruit at their own players again.

This year, the Red Sox have eight pending free agents: starters Nick Pivetta and James Paxton, outfielder Tyler O’Neill, catcher Danny Jansen and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Luis Garcia and Lucas Sims. Paxton has already announced his retirement and it’s unclear if any of the others will return.

Decisions on player, club and mutual options must also be made within five days of the end of the World Series. Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito has a $19 million player option that he has already confirmed he will pick up, and the Red Sox have a $2.1 million club option for outfielder Rob Refsnyder that they should exercise.

Qualifying offers are also expected to be extended during this quiet window. The qualifying offer is a one-year offer worth the average salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players, which for this season was set at $21.05 million. Players who receive a qualifying offer will have until November 19 at 4 p.m. to accept it, and if they reject the offer and sign with another team, their original team will receive compensation for their draft pick .

The Red Sox don’t have any slam dunk candidates for the qualifying offer, although O’Neill and Pivetta are possibilities. The club did not extend any offers last winter and recently extended deals to Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi after the 2022 season. Both players signed elsewhere and the draft pick acquired as compensation for Bogaerts ended up being used to pick Kristian Campbell, who exploded onto the scene this year to become a top 25 prospect.

Salary arbitration

Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck both had All-Star seasons, and Kutter Crawford established himself as a reliable starting pitcher in the big leagues. Yet all three combined earned less than $2.5 million in 2024, according to Spotrac.

It will be a while before they hit free agency, but all three should receive significant raises this offseason.

Players who have three or more years but less than six years of big league service, as well as a small group of players with between two and three years, are eligible for salary arbitration if they have not already accepted a long-term contract. extension with their club. Duran, Houck and Crawford are Boston’s three arbitration-eligible players and should expect their salaries to more than triple.

In its annual salary arbitration projections, MLB Trade Rumors Duran projects will receive $4.9 million, Houck $4.5 million and Crawford $3.5 million. The deadline for arbitration-eligible players and their clubs to agree to a contract is typically early January, and those who cannot reach an agreement turn to salary arbitration, with hearings beginning in late January through February .

Clubs may also refuse to offer a player on their 40-man team-controlled list a contract for the upcoming season. These players are “non-tendered” and become free agents. The deadline for bidding on player contracts this year is November 22.

Meetings, Awards and More

This year’s MLB Winter Meetings will take place December 9-12 in Dallas, Texas. Beyond the potential for major trades or free agent signings, the meetings also host two of the biggest events of the offseason, the MLB Draft Lottery and the Rule 5 Draft.

The second annual draft lottery will take place on December 10. After finishing 81-81 and with the 13th worst record in baseball, the Red Sox have a 1.22% chance of landing the first overall pick. The most likely outcome is the Red Sox’ pick at 13th overall, although they could also be relegated further down the table if clubs behind them enter the lottery.

Draft Rule 5, which will take place on December 11, allows clubs to identify and offer a major league opportunity to a minor league player who has not had a chance elsewhere. The idea is to prevent teams from accumulating MLB-ready talent in the minors, and the Red Sox have recently been among the draft’s biggest beneficiaries — Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten were both recent selections of the rule 5.

Any minor league player who is not on a 40-man roster and is four or five years away from signing his first professional contract is eligible to be selected. So, before the winter meetings, clubs must decide which of their Rule 5 eligible prospects they want to protect. This year, the deadline to finalize the 40-man roster is November 19. The most likely candidate for protection for the Red Sox is right-hander Hunter Dobbins, although Michael Fulmer, a former AL Rookie of the Year who spent all of last year with the team. Miners rehabbing after elbow surgery could also be a possibility.

The annual general managers’ meetings will be held November 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas, and the owners’ meetings will be held November 19-21 in New York.

Major MLB awards will also be announced throughout November. Gold Glove winners will be announced on November 3, Silver Slugger winners on November 12 and the Hank Aaron Awards, Comeback Players of the Year, Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Relievers of the Year, Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year and the selections for the All-MLB first and second teams will all be announced on November 14 as part of the “All-MLB Team Show” live in Las Vegas.

The BBWAA awards will be presented the following week. Rookie of the Year winners will be announced on November 18, Managers of the Year on November 19, Cy Young Awards on November 20, and MVP winners on November 21. The MLB Players Alumni Association Heart and Hustle Award will be announced on November 18. November 22.