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Important dates to know as Phillies enter uncertain offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Major League Baseball will enter an unorthodox offseason with an expected work stoppage that could very well impact the 2027 season.

That will directly impact the Phillies.

The organization enters the winter without a permanent manager, with several prominent players reaching free agency and with an expensive roster that needs more than a few alterations after its fifth consecutive postseason run ended without a championship.

The most significant date on the calendar is Dec. 1, when the collective bargaining agreement expires. If Major League Baseball and the Players Association do not reach a new agreement, the owners are expected to initiate a lockout.

Before then, the Phillies will have opportunities to change their roster. They will also face several deadlines that could shape what they are able to accomplish before transactions potentially come to a halt.

Here are the important dates to know:

TBD (October): Phillies’ end of season press conference

The Phillies have not announced when they will hold their end-of-season press conference.

Philadelphia could make a decision on Don Mattingly before the press conference takes place. Either way, it should provide insight into their managerial direction and how aggressively the organization intends to reshape its roster before the CBA expires.

Oct. 23-31: World Series

The World Series is scheduled to begin Oct. 23. A potential Game 7 would be played Oct. 31.

Its conclusion will officially begin the offseason transaction calendar. Several deadlines are determined by the number of days following the final game rather than a fixed date.

Day after the World Series: Free agency begins

Players with expiring contracts become free agents the day after the World Series, although they cannot sign with another organization until five days after the series ends. Teams are permitted to begin making trades immediately.

The Phillies’ impending free agents include Alec Bohm, Luis Arraez, Adolis García, Edmundo Sosa, José Alvarado, Brooks Raley and Tim Mayza.

Nestor Cortes is also set to become a free agent after signing a major-league contract with the Phillies in August.

That group represents a considerable portion of the lineup, bench and bullpen. The Phillies will have an exclusive five-day window to negotiate with them before they can sign elsewhere.

Unlike several other clubs, the Phillies do not currently have a major-league contract option to exercise or decline.

Fifth day after the World Series: Open free agency and qualifying offers

Free agents can begin signing with all 30 teams five days after the World Series ends.

This is also the deadline for clubs to extend qualifying offers to eligible free agents. Players who receive one will have 10 additional days to accept or reject it.

The Phillies will have to determine whether any of their eligible free agents warrant an offer. If a player rejects it and signs elsewhere, Philadelphia would receive draft-pick compensation. Depending on the signing club’s revenue-sharing and competitive-balance-tax status, it could forfeit draft selections and international bonus-pool money.

Players on the 60-day injured list must also be reinstated by this date, which can create an immediate 40-man roster crunch.

Nov. 1-Dec. 5: Japanese posting window

Players under contract with Nippon Professional Baseball clubs can be posted for major-league teams during this window.

Once a player is posted, teams have 45 days to negotiate a contract. If no agreement is reached, the player returns to his Japanese club.

That window carries additional interest after the Phillies’ previous attempts to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The organization has never signed a Japanese-born player to a major-league contract, but Japan could provide the Phillies with an opportunity to alter the identity of their roster.

Third baseman Teruaki Sato is among the Japanese players expected to attract major-league interest if he is posted.

Nov. 9-12: BBWAA awards announced

The major Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards will be revealed over four consecutive nights.

Rookie of the Year will be announced Nov. 9, Manager of the Year on Nov. 10, Cy Young on Nov. 11 and Most Valuable Player on Nov. 12.

The Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All-MLB, Hank Aaron, Comeback Player of the Year and Reliever of the Year awards will also be announced during the offseason.

Nov. 14: Arizona Fall League championship

The Arizona Fall League championship will be played Nov. 14.

Ten Phillies prospects are participating in the league, including Aidan Miller, Aroon Escobar and Dante Nori. Their performances can be followed throughout the season in the Phillies’ Arizona Fall League tracker.

The Fall League gives Miller an opportunity to make up for time lost to back surgery. It also gives the Phillies a longer evaluation period for several prospects before they make their Rule 5 decisions.

Nov. 17: Rule 5 protection deadline

The Phillies must add eligible prospects to their 40-man roster by Nov. 17 to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.

Among their eligible prospects are Bryan Rincon, Aroon Escobar, Pan Wen-hui, Mavis Graves and Kehden Hettiger.

Rincon and Escobar spent the season with Double-A Reading. Both are ranked among the top prospects in the Phillies’ system and would be at risk of being selected if left unprotected.

A player selected in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 draft must remain on his new team’s active roster for the entire following season or be offered back to his original organization.

Nov. 20: Non-tender deadline

The Phillies must tender contracts to every unsigned player on their 40-man roster by Nov. 20. Any player who is not tendered a contract immediately becomes a free agent.

Philadelphia has nine players eligible for salary arbitration: Garrett Stubbs, Brandon Marsh, Jhoan Duran, Bryson Stott, Tanner Banks, Derek Hill, Rafael Marchán, Bryan De La Cruz and Orion Kerkering.

Tendering a contract does not finalize a player’s salary. It allows the Phillies to retain his rights and continue negotiating before arbitration figures are exchanged.

The deadline could create additional movement. The Phillies can trade an arbitration-eligible player before Nov. 20 or non-tender him if they do not believe his projected salary fits their plans.

Dec. 1: Collective bargaining agreement expires

The current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.

If the league and union do not reach a new agreement, MLB’s owners are expected to lock out the players. Transactions involving major-league players would stop, and team officials would be prohibited from communicating with players on the 40-man roster.

That possibility adds another layer to the Phillies’ managerial decision. A new manager could have a limited period to speak with his players and establish relationships before communication is cut off.

The uncertainty also complicates long-term planning. Salary arbitration, the competitive-balance tax, free agency, revenue sharing and other roster rules could change under the next agreement. The Phillies have already committed significant money beyond 2026, while players such as Stott, Duran and Marsh are approaching increasingly expensive arbitration seasons.

It is also why early extension decisions involving Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller have become more complicated.

Dec. 7-9: Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings are scheduled to take place in San Diego from Dec. 7-9.

Those meetings would ordinarily represent one of the busiest periods of the offseason, but they are expected to be canceled if the owners initiate a lockout.

The MLB draft lottery is scheduled for Dec. 8, followed by the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 9. The lottery would be delayed until a new agreement is reached if there is a lockout. The Rule 5 draft could be postponed or canceled entirely.

January: Arbitration and international signing period

Under a normal offseason calendar, teams and arbitration-eligible players exchange salary figures in January. Players who do not reach agreements with their clubs proceed to hearings later in the winter.

Those dates could be delayed or replaced depending on the next CBA. The Phillies’ arbitration class is especially significant because Stott, Marsh and Duran are each due sizable raises.

The international amateur signing period is also expected to open in January. The Phillies made their largest international investment in franchise history when they signed Francisco Renteria in 2025, and he has quickly developed into one of the top prospects in the organization.

That portion of the calendar could also be changed by a new agreement.

The Baseball Hall of Fame voting results will be announced in January. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and Bobby Abreu are expected to return to the ballot. Utley received 59.1 percent of the vote last winter, leaving him within striking distance of the 75-percent threshold in his fourth year of eligibility.

Feb. 19: Phillies begin Grapefruit League play

The Phillies are scheduled to open their spring training schedule against the Tigers in Lakeland on Feb. 19. Their first home game in Clearwater is scheduled for the following day against the Blue Jays.

Those games remain on the calendar, but their status will depend on whether MLB and the union can complete a new agreement in time.

The previous lockout lasted 99 days and delayed the beginning of spring training in 2022.

March 25: Opening Day

The Phillies are scheduled to open the 2027 regular season against the Nationals in Washington on March 25.

Their home opener is scheduled for April 1, also against Washington.

Those dates provide the endpoint for an offseason unlike any the Phillies have faced during their current competitive window. How much business they complete before Dec. 1 could determine how prepared they are whenever baseball resumes.

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers knew the magnitude of this one.

It was just Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at American Family Field, but they had their ace, Jacob Misiorowski on the mound. They had a fresh bullpen. They had momentum.

They also had the bitter memory of a year ago that needed to be erased.

You see, the Brewers were in this same position a year ago, facing the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, with home field advantage.

The Dodgers embarrassed them.

It was humiliating, really.

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The Brewers not only were swept, but they didn’t lead a single inning, and set a dubious postseason record hitting just .118.

So now, after winning Game 1, 2-1, with their vaunted bullpen picking up Misiorowski and shutting down the Dodgers’ powerful offense, just what did this game mean to their psyche?

“Well," said Brewers closer Trevor Megill, “we ain’t getting swept now. We can relax a little bit."

Don’t let the Brewers fool you. They know how important this game meant for their chances to go where no Brewer team has gone since 1982 with a World Series berth.

“I think that was huge," Brewers left-handed reliever DL Hall said. “Momentum plays a big part in the postseason."

The series wouldn’t have been over with a loss, but with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamto taking the mound Monday in Game 2 for the Dodgers, the Brewers simply couldn’t afford to head to Los Angeles down 2-0 and still be confident of a return trip to Milwaukee for a potential Game 6.

Now, for the first time since 2021, the Dodgers are trailing in the NLCS, while the Brewers are not only surviving, but embracing their heart-stopping close games.

“You can't go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “and expect to just win four. It's going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We've just got to reset."

The Brewers certainly are developing a knack for these tense moments. They are only the third team in postseason history not to lead or trail by more than two runs in a game, joining the 1915 Red Sox and Phillies. And they are only the fourth club in the last 110 teams to have each of their first five games decided by two or fewer runs.

“Hey," said Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell, “it’s Brewer baseball. We never give up, man."

The Dodgers have a big hole in the middle of their batting order, and it’s not Shohei Ohtani.

If anything, Ohtani has reemerged as an offensive force in the cleanup spot, singling, walking and scoring the Dodgers’ only run Sunday in a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

The problem is with the guy hitting in front of Ohtani.

Will Smith walked in four plate appearances, marking just the second time he’s reached base in the postseason. In the four division series games against the Atlanta Braves, he had a single in 16 at-bats, striking out seven times. He’s hitting .053 in the playoffs — only Cleveland’s Ángel Martínez has a lower average among players with at least nine at-bats.

But there’s not much the Dodgers can do about it. They are built to win with pitching and Smith, the catcher, is the guy they rely on to guide those pitchers through games.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers could be in big trouble if Brewers steal their October swagger

Dalton Rushing, who started just three fewer games behind the plate than Smith this season, is injured and not on the roster. Hunter Feduccia, who did make the team, caught just 15 complete games this season and isn’t an option to start in the playoffs.

“I’m not going to put Feduccia in place of Will Smith,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s just not going to happen.”

So Roberts and the Dodgers are left to muddle on with Smith regardless of how much he struggles offensively. That’s because he’s far more valuable crouching behind the plate than standing next to it.

“I don’t even know how he’s performing offensively,” said Tarik Skubal, who took the loss Sunday. “Catchers, I think it’s the most important position on the field. They’re the ones calling pitches, dictating game flow, rhythm, all that type of stuff. I’m going to trust those guys always.”

Smith appears to be executing his catching duties very well, since opponents have scored just 10 runs and are hitting .160 against the Dodgers this postseason. Only Tampa Bay, which has played two fewer games, has done better.

As for what Smith thinks, that’s unknown because the Dodgers did not make him available to the media Sunday. But since he’s not coming out of the lineup, the next-best solution might be moving him to another spot in the order.

That worked with Ohtani, who had as many strikeouts as hits in the first two games of the division series, when he batted second. Since being dropped in the order, he has reached base four times in three games, stolen a base and scored twice.

“There’s always lineup construction. I can think it through. He’s not swinging the bat well,” Roberts said of Smith. “It’s hard because of the body of work, he just has that knack to get a hit, to get a big hit.”

That’s exactly what happened last fall when Smith’s two-out, 11th-inning home run in Game 7 of the World Series helped the Dodgers win a second straight title.

Smith was on the injured list for 86 days this summer because of neck disk inflammation, returning for the final month when he slashed .290/.400/.548. He has cooled off considerably in October, just as he did last year, when he returned from a right hand contusion three games into the playoffs and got just two hits in his first 14 at-bats.

Read more:Brewers get just enough off Tarik Skubal, draw first blood in NLCS Game 1 win

He recovered to bat .400 in last year’s NLCS win over Milwaukee, then broke a 4-4 tie with his winning homer against the Toronto Blue Jays. Just as important, though, Smith caught all but 11 innings in the Dodgers’ final 15 postseason games — including two 11-inning games and another that lasted 18 innings.

Smith rarely has hit well in the postseason, batting just .206 in 18 series, which may explain Roberts’ lack of panic. Plus, Roberts knows his All-Star catcher has helped him win three World Series rings, and if the Dodgers are to get another, it will be on the strength of their pitching, not their hitting.

And that side of Smith’s game is as strong as ever.

“To be honest, that’s not where my focus is with Will,” Skubal said of his catcher’s hitting. “My focus is what he’s doing behind the dish and he’s very important. He’s very important to the entire pitching staff.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

MILWAUKEE — This isn't why the Los Angeles Dodgers got Tarik Skubal.

The Dodgers outbid everyone else interested, including the Milwaukee Brewers, because they thought the two-time Cy Young Award winner would deliver them a third consecutive World Series title. They gave up three highly touted prospects to get Skubal because, when you're the Dodgers, the future doesn't matter nearly as much as the present.

What Los Angeles didn't do was get Skubal to lose Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, giving those Brewers their first postseason win over the Dodgers since 2018. It was only Skubal's second loss in the postseason, and first since the 2024 ALDS.

"I didn't do my job," Skubal said after taking the loss in Milwaukee's 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Sunday, Oct. 11. "Anytime we lose and it's 2-1, I didn't do my job."

Harsh as it might be to say, Skubal is right. Though the Dodgers have rallied after losing a Game 1 before — they lost the first game of the World Series last year and look how that turned out — there's a reason he was on the mound to start this series.

Skubal was 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA in his previous seven postseason starts, including a win in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. He'd never gone fewer than six innings in a playoff game or thrown fewer than 84 pitches. Since joining the Dodgers on Aug. 2, Skubal was 5-2, and Los Angeles had won his last seven starts.

If Los Angeles wanted to send the Brewers a message that their 103-win regular season was nice and all but they shouldn't expect this postseason matchup to be different than their others, Skubal was the guy to do it.

Except he wasn't.

Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee's young ace, didn't have his best stuff, giving up an RBI single to Andy Pages in the second inning after issuing a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani. But Misiorowski and the Brewers bullpen managed to limit the damage from there, allowing the Dodgers only three runners in scoring position over the last six innings.

The Brewers, meanwhile, got sharper against Skubal the more they saw him.

The Dodgers dropped Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

The Brewers needed just two runs to beat the Dodgers Sunday. While two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal outlasted NL Cy Young candidate Jacob Misiorowski on the mound, the Dodgers offense managed just a single run.

But Freddie Freeman isn’t worried.

“Any loss in the playoffs is not great, but it’s a long series. It’s just the first game,” he said.

The Dodgers appear to have the edge in starting pitching, but Skubal’s five innings wasn’t enough to fend off the Brewers. Milwaukee won Game 1 and it could be argued the Dodgers didn’t exactly help themselves in the series opener.

The Dodgers were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Had LA capitalized on any one of those moments, the Dodgers likely would have won the game.

The back-to-back World Series champions are already putting the past behind them and have their sights set on Game 2.

“We got to focus on the task at hand, and that’s winning the game tomorrow,” Betts said.

The Dodgers deploy World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto as their Game 2 starter, giving them their best chance to take a game at American Family Field.

Unsurprisingly, in a battle of two aces, Jacob Misiorowski and Tarik Skubal, the expected NL Cy Young winner and the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, runs were hard to come by in this pitchers’ duel. But ultimately, in Game 1 of the NLCS, the Brewers came out on top 2-1.

The Dodgers struck first against Misiorowski. Shohei Ohtani drew a leadoff walk, then Teoscar Hernandez singled. With one out, Andy Pages slapped a ground ball single through the right side to bring home Ohtani and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Misiorowski did not have his best stuff in this game. He hit 104 MPH once, but the vertical break on his fastball was down a couple inches and the command wasn’t there as he walked three on the night. Still, he battled and was able to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end that 2nd inning.

Then, drama.

In the 4th inning, Teoscar Hernandez danced a little too far off of first base, Misiorowski stepped off, spun around, and calmly threw to first to get Hernandez out, seemingly ending the inning. However, home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso called a balk on Misiorowski. Pat Murphy was emphatically upset at the call.

Misiorowski ended up striking out Kyle Tucker to end the inning, so no harm was truly done. Miz was emotional coming off the mound, and the Brewers appeared to have a fire lit under them after that. Immediately after, to leadoff the bottom of the 4th, Brice Turang slugged his first home run of the postseason.

That tied the game at 1-1 and cemented momentum in the Brewers favor.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to foul a ball off my knee again, so I was like I’m going to stay inside of this one. Not try to do too much, just drive back up the middle and get inside of it. Yeah, I just got it. Just trying to stay inside of it, drive it up the middle, and sometimes less is more.” Turang said.

The Brewers would keep it going in the 5th after Garrett Mitchell led off the inning with a walk, then was moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Cooper Pratt. That perfectly set up Luis Lara to give the Brewers the lead.

At just 21 years old and the youngest player on the team, Lara came through when his team needed him the most.

“(Lara) is very committed to team. He’s very committed to not letting his teammates down, and I think that’s what makes the guy special at this point. Both him and Pratt are up here not knowing they were going to be in the Big Leagues, and they are both very conscientious about getting it done the right way. They’re more concerned about not letting their teammates down than not letting a national audience down.” Murphy said.

“Really I was just looking to push the runner across. That was the only thing that was going through my mind. That’s what I’m focused on in that moment is just finding a way to connect, put the ball in play, and find a way for the run to score. Thanks to God I was able to do that.” Lara said.

The Brewers had an opportunity to bring in some insurance runs in that inning. Jackson Chourio followed with a single, then Brice Turang drew a walk, loading the bases with two outs for William Contreras. However, Contreras flew out to deep right to end the threat.

The Brewers had a few more chances to add on, but were unable to capitalize. Jake Bauers was picked off first by Alex Vesia in the 6th on what clearly should’ve been called a balk. Vesia’s stride was towards home and far beyond the 45 degree angle that’s allowed. Yet it was not called.

Then in the 8th, Chourio led things off with a single. The Dodgers then brought in $72MM reliever Tanner Scott and refused to allow him to face a single right-handed batter. They intentionally walked William Contreras to face Jake Bauers, and then intentionally walked Andrew Vaughn to face Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell grounded out to end the inning and leave it a 2-1 Brewers lead heading into the 9th.

Trevor Megill was called upon to lock things down once again, and he was able to deliver, albeit with a little bit of stress. After inducing an infield fly and a flyout, Megill walked the 8th and 9th hitters for the Dodgers to turn the lineup over to Mookie Betts. Betts flew out to deep center to end the game and Garrett Mitchell caught it and celebrated with an emphatic fist pump.

The Brewers will not be swept out of the NLCS this year. They have taken the 1-0 series lead and are now three wins away from reaching the World Series.

For the Brewers to accomplish their goal, they’ll need to win the games started by Misiorowski. They were able to accomplish that and have now set themselves up with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead with Game 2 on Monday afternoon. It’ll be Logan Henderson on the mound for the Crew while Brewers killer Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the mound for the Dodgers.

MILWAUKEE –– Grading the performance of every Dodgers player from the 2-1 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series:

Mookie Betts: B

Hit a single in the third. Drew a walk in the fifth. And was denied another potential hit by Brice Turang to open the game. All in all, more good at-bats from the leadoff spot.

Freddie Freeman: C

Hit a trademark opposite-field single off Jacob Misiorowski in the first, but also a double-play grounder that ended the fifth inning four pitches after Misiorowski’s exit.

Will Smith: D

After an ugly 1-for-16 performance in the NLDS, Smith rolled into an inning-ending double-play in the first, then weakly flied out his next two times. He finally reached base with a walk in the eighth, but it might be time for him to move down in the lineup.

Shohei Ohtani: B

Drew a four-pitch walk in his first at-bat. Then sliced a looping single the other way in the sixth. Still doesn’t look like himself. But has reached safely in all five games this postseason.

Teoscar Hernández: B

Epitomized the Dodgers’ approach against Misiorowski with a pair of singles the other way early on. But didn’t do anything against a couple relievers. Not that he was alone on that.

Max Muncy: D

Had a sixth-inning single, but also struck out twice. Also booted a grounder at third that helped create a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, ultimately contributing to Tarik Skubal’s early exit from the game. 

Andy Pages: B

Drove in the game’s first run with an opposite-field single in the second. But left runners stranded on the corners in the sixth, whiffing on a 99 mph fastball from Abner Uribe.

Kyle Tucker: B

Worked an impressive 10-pitch walk in the Dodgers’ second-inning rally, then another free pass that briefly delayed defeat with two outs in the ninth. Struck out twice in between, though.

Kiké Hernández: D

Hit into first, and most costly, double-play of the night with the bases loaded in the second. Overall, finished 0-for-3 and also had some shaky moments at second base.

Josue De Paula: B+

Came off the bench again for a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth and drew a walk. Once again, an October moment wasn’t too big for him.

Tarik Skubal: C-

Was dominant early, striking out six of first nine batters (including three on three pitches). But gave up a home run to Brice Turang after falling behind in the count in the fourth. Then paid for a leadoff walk in the fifth, which allowed the Brewers to play some #BrewerBall (sac bunt, RBI single). First time in his playoff career he didn’t complete six innings.

Alex Vesia: B+

Walked the leadoff man in the sixth, but recovered by picking him off and striking out the next two batters.

Evan Phillips: B+

Struck out the side in the seventh in his first full inning of work this postseason. Then returned for the eighth but was quickly replaced after a leadoff single. Still, he has looked sharp so far this October.

Tanner Scott: A

Got out of an eighth-inning jam by retiring a couple lefties (amid Dave Roberts intentionally walking two righties to risk a bases-loaded jam).

Dave Roberts: B

His offense had the right approach, and he pressed the right buttons with his bullpen. But there was nothing he could do about the offense’s missed chances.