Just 144 days until league-wide Opening Day in 2026

As the offseason officially started just after midnight in the east, we are 144 days to Opening Day, 3½ months to Spring Training, and only 35 days until the start of the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings that will be held in Orlando, Florida, from December 7-10, 2025, at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa. Before that, the Washington Nationals should have their coaching staff in place and expect many roster moves. There is little rest for PoBO Paul Toboni and his staff.

Free agency technically opens today, and then on Thursday, November 6th, 2025 at 5 pm EST free agents can sign elsewhere

Today marks the opening of free agency for all teams, followed by a five-day exclusive negotiating window where free agents can only make a deal with their departing team. After that, free agents are “free” to sign wherever they want.

The Nationals only have three free agents right now with Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, and Derek Law on that list. Law was injured all season and never pitched for the Nationals.

It is also a time for teams and players to decide on contract options, and for teams to issue qualifying offers (Q.O.) to eligible free agents they deem worthy of the Q.O. which is a one-year contract offer worth the average of the top 125 salaries in the MLB ($22.025 million for the 2026 season) that teams can extend to eligible free agents.

If a player accepts a Q.O., they return to their previous team for one season. If the player declines and signs with a new team, the original team receives draft pick compensation. The Washington Nationals will not be extending that offer to any free agents; however, there will be some free agents who will be collared with that tag — and that Q.O. carries penalties to the acquiring team with a loss of a draft pick and international free agency money.

November 10-13th: MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada

All 30 MLB General Managers will meet in Sin City in less than two weeks for their annual meetings. Expect to hear from Paul Toboni during that time. As they say, this is when teams discuss trade scenarios. While a trade is rare during the meetings, some have happened days to weeks after the GM Meetings where the groundwork was set. Of course MacKenzie Gore will be a big name floated out there, and if you believe the current rumors, CJ Abrams might be another popular trade scenario.

Tuesday, November 18th, 2025: Qualifying Offer acceptance and Rule 5 protection deadline

The Q.O. acceptance date really only affects a few players who accept that $22.05 million and stay with their current team. That really will not affect the Washington Nationals.

The Rule-5 protection date is a biggie for the Nats and most teams. It is nearly 100 percent that the Nats will protect LHP Jake Bennett. Beyond that, Toboni has tough decisions to make. Several more Nats are Rule-5 eligible which means those players who are not placed on a team’s 40-man roster is available to be drafted by another team in the annual Rule 5 Draft. A player becomes eligible if they have completed four or five professional seasons, depending on their age when signed, and their original team has not added them to the 40-man roster to protect them from the draft. 

The other intriguing name is Christian Franklin who was acquired at the trade deadline for Michael Soroka in a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old outfielder was Rule-5 eligible last year and not protected by the Cubs. Franklin started hot with Triple-A Rochester then went cold — but still slashed .290/.382/.427 with an .809 OPS across his 31 games. On the TalkNats depth chart, Franklin is behind Andrew Pinckney as the next guy up.

Pitcher Riley Cornelio is one of the other Rule-5 names to mention in the Top-3 of Rule-5 eligible players. He went from High-A Wilmington to Double-A Harrisburg and earned a promotion to Triple-A Rochester and finished on a low note. His 5.35 ERA probably killed his chances.

Friday, November 21st, 2025: Non-Tender/Tender Deadline

With the DFA’s of Mason Thompson and Jorge Alfaro, the Nationals are now down to seven potential players remaining who are arbitration eligible. Some of those players are no-brainers, and a few are non-tender candidates.

Here are the potential arb-eligible players with the service time and MLB Trade Rumors projected salaries:

Luis Garcia Jr. (4.142): $7MM

Josiah Gray (4.075): $1.35MM

MacKenzie Gore (4.000): $4.7MM

Riley Adams (3.171): $1.5MM

CJ Abrams (3.130): $5.6MM

Jake Irvin (2.152): $3.3MM – Super-Two eligible

Cade Cavalli (2.141): $1.3MM – Super-Two (could be eligible)

Winter Meetings

All of this will lead into the Winter Meetings that becomes the unofficial kickoff to free agent signings and blockbuster trades. The Winter Meetings will be here before you know it.  It’s also a venue for the Rule 5 Draft, draft lottery, job fairs, and media events, bringing together team executives, scouts, agents, and media. 

While the Nats could pick in the Rule-5 draft like they have recently, the Nats are not eligible for the draft lottery this year, and already know they are choosing 11th in the 2026 draft.

• Player transactions: The meetings are a focal point for major trades and free agent signings, with many significant deals being finalized, or close to being announced, during this time.
• Industry networking: Executives, agents, and other professionals do hours of networking, holding public and private meetings, and spend time discussing potential deals face-to-face, which can accelerate the decision-making process.
• Rule 5 Draft: This draft allows teams to select players from other teams’ non-40-man rosters who are eligible and were not on the protected list. It’s a key part of the meetings and an opportunity for teams to find new talent.
• Media events: Managers, team executives, general managers, and agents often speak to the press during the meetings, providing insights and fueling offseason rumors.
• Business and career opportunities: The meetings feature a trade show and a job fair for those seeking employment in the minor leagues or other areas of the baseball industry.
• Other events: The meetings also include the MLB Draft Lottery and other league-related business and seminars. 

Since this is Toboni’s first offseason, we don’t know if he is an early bird to make free agent signings and trades or an executive who will let it ride into late December and early January. We should certainly learn a lot about both Toboni and new manager, Blake Butera, at this meetings.