MLB Hot Stove Calendar

The 2014 season is complete and as of this week, free agents now are able to shop their services to any of the 30 clubs. Teams had until Monday, November 3 to tender qualifying offers to their free agents.

Here are the rest of the important dates to know on the Hot Stove Calendar:

November 10, 2014
Free agents that received the qualifying offer have until 2 p.m. PT to either accept or decline. Any player that accepts is no longer a free agent and under contract for the 2015 season at the QO price tag of $15.3 million. Those that decline the offer remain free agents and still can negotiate with all 30 clubs.

Teams that tendered the QO and lose that free agent to another club will receive draft pick compensation. All players tendered the QO will cost the signing club its highest available 2015 draft pick.

Note: Players that were not tendered QOs by their former clubs are allowed to re-sign with that club at any time.

The Seattle Mariners wisely chose not to tender QOs to their free agents — Chris Denorfia, Kendrys Morales, Chris Young, Joe Beimel.

November 10-12, 2014
General managers’ meetings in Phoenix, Arizona.

November 20, 2014
Clubs must submit their reserve list by this date. All players on this list are protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

December 2, 2014
Deadline for clubs to tender contracts to unsigned players. This includes all players that are not free agents that also are not under a multi-year contract, including arbitration eligible players.

By this date, clubs simply must ‘tender’ a contract offer. Declining to do so grants that player free agency. Players with fewer than 2 years and 133 days of big-league service do not qualify for arbitration, meaning their contracts simply remain under club control and can be renewed at a price at or above the league minimum at the team’s discretion.

Arbitration eligible players that are tendered contracts by this date can negotiate their salary in the form of one-year or multi-year contracts.

Seattle Mariners arbitration eligible players include outfielders Austin Jackson, Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders, third baseman Kyle Seager, first baseman Logan Morrison,right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen and left-hander Charlie Furbush. Click Here For Arbitration Salary Projections.

December 8-11, 2014
Winter meetings, San Diego, California. The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Day Four, December 11.

January 13, 2015
If no agreement between club and arbitration-eligible player is reached, players must file for arbitration hearing by this date.

January 16, 2015
Deadline for club and arbitration-eligible player to exchange salary figures.

February 1-21, 2015
If club and arbitration-eligible player have yet to reach contract agreement by the assigned hearing date, an arbitration judge will ‘hear’ the case from both sides and choose between the exchanged figures (due by January 16, 2015). The only two choices are the player’s asking price and the team’s offer. There is no middle ground.
It’s worth noting that arbitration hearing are rare, as the two sides generally come to agreement before the hearing is necessary.

- Jason A. Churchill, 1090 The Fan

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