Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers on winning the 2024 World Series, the eighth title in their franchise history.

With that, baseball’s offseason commences. Here’s a handy calendar to help you fill your fall and winter until Opening Day 2025.

The day after the conclusion of the World Series (today): All players with at least six years of service time who are not under contract for the 2025 season will automatically become free agents (in fact, officially were as of earlier this morning, 8 a.m. CT). Minor league players with six years of service will also become free agents if not added to a 40-man roster. For the first five days after the World Series there is a “quiet period” when clubs can talk to free agents but can’t sign them.

At the end of the quiet period (Nov. 4, 4 p.m. CT), clubs must decide whether or not to extend one-year qualifying offers to their free agents. The qualifying offer dollar amount for 2025 will be $21.05 million, up from $20.325 million last year. If Cody Bellinger opts out, he is not eligible to receive a qualifying offer, since he had one last year. No other Cubs are likely to get a QO this year. The other two 2024 Cubs who are free agents today are Kyle Hendricks and Jorge López.

Players who receive a QO then have 10 days to decide whether or not to take it. If they don’t, they are immediately eligible to sign with another team.

The end of the five-day quiet period is also the deadline to settle 2025 contracts with opt-out clauses, player options, club options and mutual options. Of course, the key Cubs player here is Bellinger, who will have to decide between a $27.5 million player option or a $2.5 million buyout. The only other Cubs player in any of those categories is Drew Smyly, who has a $10 million mutual option that will almost certainly be declined in favor of a $2.5 million buyout. Here’s a complete list of players who are in those contract situations heading into 2025.

At the same time, teams are required to move all players on the 60-day injured list back to the active roster. The following eight Cubs players are currently listed on the 60-day IL: Yency Almonte, Adbert Alzolay, Colten Brewer, Ben Brown, Brennen Davis, Luke Little, Nick Madrigal and Julian Merryweather. There are some decisions coming here, too, I’d think.

Here are all the players who officially became free agents this morning, listed by team. There could be others after various contract clauses are exercised.

Here are some other dates to note this fall and winter.

Sunday, November 3: Rawlings Gold Glove winners will be announced live on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Tuesday-Thursday, November 5-7: General managers meetings in San Antonio.

Monday, November 11: BBWAA award finalists announced on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Tuesday, November 12: Louisville Silver Slugger Awards will be announced for each position live on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Thursday, November 14: The Hank Aaron Award winners, Comeback Players of the Year, Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman Relievers of the Year, Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year and selections for the All-MLB First and Second Teams will all be announced live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on MLB Network.

Monday, November 18: The 2024 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot will be released, with voting taking place through December 31.

Monday, November 18: The Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winners will be announced for the National and American Leagues live on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Tuesday-Thursday, November 19-21: Owners meetings in New York.

Tuesday, November 19: Players who have received qualifying offers must accept or reject them by 3 p.m. CT. Players accepting the offer, obviously, remain with their previous team. Players who reject the offer become free agents attached to draft pick compensation. Last year, seven players received the $20.325 million QO, but all of them rejected it.

Tuesday, November 19: Teams must add eligible minor leaguers to their 40-man rosters by 5 p.m. CT or risk losing them in the Rule 5 Draft. College players drafted no later than 2021 and high school players drafted no later than 2020 are Rule 5 Draft eligible this year, as well as players signed internationally no later than 2020.

Tuesday, November 19: Manager of the Year awards will be announced for the National League and American Leagues live on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Wednesday, November 20: AL and NL Cy Young awards will be announced live on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Thursday, November 21: MVP awards for the NL and AL will be announced live on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Friday, November 22: The MLB non-tender deadline (6 p.m. CT). All teams must offer their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2025 by this date. Players who do not receive a contract offer are considered “non-tendered” and become free agents. This date was moved up from early December to the Friday immediately before Thanksgiving in the new CBA. The following 14 (!) Cubs are arb-eligible this year (projected salary estimates here): Yency Almonte, Adbert Alzolay, Christian Bethancourt, Colten Brewer, Jimmy Herget, Nick Madrigal, Julian Merryweather, Isaac Paredes, Nate Pearson, Justin Steele, Mike Tauchman, Keegan Thompson, Trey Wingenter and Patrick Wisdom. Several of those players are likely to be non-tendered.

Sunday, December 8: The Classic Baseball Era Committee of the Hall of Fame will meet, with the results of their vote announced live on MLB Network at 6:30 p.m. CT. Anyone elected will be inducted in Cooperstown Sunday, July 27, 2025.

Sunday-Thursday, December 8-12: MLB’s annual Winter Meetings are scheduled to take place in Dallas.

Tuesday, December 10: The winner of the Hall of Fame’s 2025 BBWAA Career Excellence Award (for writers) will be announced.

Tuesday, December 10: The MLB Draft lottery will take place. The 18 teams that did not make the postseason all have a shot at the No. 1 pick, though the worst teams have the highest odds. Per that link, the Cubs have a 0.4 percent chance of winning the top pick. The lottery will be televised live on MLB Network at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Wednesday, December 11: The winner of the Hall of Fame’s 2025 Frick Award (for broadcasters) will be announced.

Wednesday, December 11: The Rule 5 Draft is the final event of the Winter Meetings, at 12 noon CT. Players taken in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on their new team’s major league roster all season or be offered back to their original team, although sometimes trades are arranged so teams can keep the player in their minor-league system. The Rule 5 Draft is usually streamed live on MLB.com.

Sunday, December 15: The international signing period closes at 4 p.m. CT. The 2025 signing period opens next month (see below).

Friday, January 10: Teams must exchange salary arbitration figures with arbitration-eligible players by this deadline. The two parties can avoid arbitration by reaching an agreement any time prior to the beginning of an arb hearing. In many cases, players and teams do agree to a contract before filing salary figures.

Wednesday, January 15: The 2025 international signing period begins at 8 a.m. CT. Since MLB and the MLBPA didn’t agree on an international draft for the current CBA, amateur players from countries outside the US, Canada and Puerto Rico can still sign with any team. This system will remain in place through at least Dec. 1, 2026, when the current CBA expires.

Friday- Sunday, January 17-19: The Cubs Convention returns. Hotel room packages are on sale here and you can get weekend passes without the hotel stay here.

Tuesday, January 21: The Hall of Fame announces its 2025 class in a live MLB Network broadcast at 5 p.m. CT. Any players elected will be inducted in a ceremony in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 27.

Monday, January 27-Friday, February 14: Arbitration hearings for eligible players who have not reached agreement on contracts with their teams.

Thursday, February 20: The Cubs open their 2024 Spring Training schedule against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, at 2:05 p.m. CT.

Thursday, March 13 and Saturday, March 15: MLB Spring Breakout. Cubs prospects will face Dodgers prospects at Camelback Ranch on the 13th, and Cubs prospects will play Angels prospects at Sloan Park on the 15th.

Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18-19: Japan Series. The Cubs and Dodgers will meet for two games at the Tokyo Dome as MLB takes its “World Tour” to Asia for the second year in a row, after the Seoul Series last March. The Cubs will return to Sloan Park for five practice games after this regular-season series, and the Dodgers will play their annual exhibition “Freeway Series” against the Angels after these two games in Japan, with one game at Dodger Stadium and two at Angel Stadium.

Thursday, March 27: Opening Day in North America for the Cubs when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, time TBD. All 30 teams will be in action that day.

Friday, April 4: The Cubs play their home opener at Wrigley Field at 1:20 p.m. CT against the San Diego Padres.