Important dates for Tigers fans to know in the 2024-25 MLB offseason

Emma Lingan

Symmetry of the tiger statue at the entrance, an... / Roberto Machado Noa/GettyImages

A very special season for the Detroit Tigers came to an close a few weeks ago, when they were eliminated by the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series. But now that the Los Angeles Dodgers have been crowned the 2024 World Series champions, the MLB offseason has officially commenced.

The Tigers are entering a critical next few weeks as a team on the rise. President of baseball operations Scott Harris and the rest of the Tigers' front office will be hard at work between now and February, building a foundation for the club to have success in 2025 and beyond. And fans should be along for the entirety of the journey.

Important dates for Tigers fans to know in the 2024-25 MLB offseason

Qualifying offer deadline (November 4, 2024)

Five days after the end of the World Series, teams must decide whether or not to extend a qualifying offer to impending free agents. This is a bigger day for many other teams than it is for the Tigers, who don't have any eligible free agents. Detroit does have one contract option – $3.1 million for pitcher Casey Mize – which they are expected to decline. Even if the Tigers do choose to retain Mize, they can do so for less money through the salary arbitration process. MLB Trade Rumors projects Mize to earn $2 million in arbitration this offseason. Players have until Nov. 19 to accept or reject.

GM Meetings (November 5-7)

This year's GM meetings will take place in San Antonion, TX. Not much action goes down at these; it's more so just a bit of a post-mortem for executives across the league to align and begin the germinating stage of trade talks.

Non-tender deadline (November 22, 2024)

Clubs have until Nov. 22 to decide whether or not to tender a contract to any arbitration-eligible player with fewer than six years of MLB service time. The Tigers have nine players who fall into this category – Mize, Tarik Skubal, Jake Rogers, Zach McKinstry, Jason Foley, Matt Vierling, Beau Brieske and Andy Ibáñez. Retaining all of these players would cost the Tigers roughly $24.5 million in 2025 based on MLBTR's projections. If any of these players is non-tendered, he will immediately enter free agency.

MLB Winter Meetings (December 8-11, 2024)

This year's MLB Winter Meetings will be held from Dec. 8-11 in Dallas, Texas, where player agents and front office executives meet to discuss potential trades, free agency deals, and more. Expect the Tigers to be looking for opportunities to upgrade their pitching staff and potentially add another bat or two. The Rule 5 Draft also happens during Winter Meetings, as does the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training (February 2025)

Tigers pitchers and catchers will report to Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., in early February to begin preparations for Spring Training, which officially begins Feb. 20 with an exhibition game between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Tigers are scheduled to see their first Grapefruit League action on Feb. 22 with a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.