While the Los Angeles Dodgers won an unprecedented sixth consecutive National League West title and reached the World Series a second straight year, the season ended in heartbreak as the Boston Red Sox captured a ninth overall championship and fourth in the last 15 years.
For the Dodgers, not only did they come up short of ending their drought, but they are the first team to lose a World Series at home in back-to-back years since the the New York Giants (1936 and 1937).
The loss in Game 5 meant the MLB 2018 offseason began in full earnest with free agency on Monday. For the Dodgers, it meant John Axford, Brian Dozier, Yasmani Grandal, Daniel Hudson, Manny Machado, Ryan Madson and Hyun-Jin Ryu were officially no longer under contract.
Grandal and Ryu figure to be candidates for the qualifying offer, valued at $17.9 million, while Machado will command one of the more lucrative contracts signed this winter.
Also looming for the Dodgers is what Clayton Kershaw will decide with regards to his opt-out clause. A deadline set for 9 p.m. PT was mutually pushed back to Friday at 1 p.m.
With MLB free agency also comes awards season, general managers’ meetings, Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft.
Included below is a list of important dates to be mindful of for the 2018 offseason:
- Monday, Oct. 29: Free agency begins at 6 a.m. PT, with teams receiving a five-day window to exclusively negotiate with their own free agents
- Wednesday, Oct. 31: Most decisions on contract options due by 9 p.m. PT
- Friday, Nov. 2: Deadline to tender a qualifying offer to eligible free agents by 2 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 3: MLB free agency begins, bringing an end to the five-day exclusive window. Players at this point are free to negotiate and sign with any club
- Sunday, Nov. 4: Rawlings Gold Glove winners announced
- Monday, Nov. 5: BBWAA Awards finalists (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year) announced on MLB Network
- Monday, Nov. 5: MLB executive of the year announced
- Tuesday-Thursday, Nov. 6-8: General manager meetings (Carlsbad, Calif.)
- Thursday, Nov. 8: Louisville Silver Slugger Awards winners announced on MLB Network
- Nov. 8-15: Japan All-Star Tour
- Monday, Nov. 12: 2 p.m. PT deadline for players to accept or reject the one-year qualifying offer
- Monday, Nov. 12: American League and National League 2018 Rookie of the Year Award winners announced on MLB Network
- Tuesday, Nov. 13: AL and NL Manager of the Year winners announced on MLB Network
- Wednesday, Nov. 14: Cy Young Award winners announced on MLB Network
- Wednesday-Thursday Nov. 14-15: Owners meetings in Atlanta
- Thursday, Nov. 15: MVP winners unveiled on MLB Network
- Monday, Nov. 19: Comeback Player of the Year winners announced for American League and National League
- Tuesday, Nov. 20: Deadline for clubs to set their 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5 Draft
- Tuesday, Nov. 20: Designated hitter of the Year announced
- Monday-Thursday, Nov. 26-29: MLB Players Association executive board meeting in Dallas
- Tuesday, Nov. 27: Players Choice Awards winners (Player of the Year, Outstanding Pitcher, Outstanding Rookie, Marvin Miller Man of the Year, etc.) unveiled on MLB Network
- Friday, Nov. 30: Deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players
- Sunday-Thursday, Dec. 9-13: 2018 Winter Meetings (Las Vegas)
- Thursday, Dec. 13: Rule 5 Draft concludes Winter Meetings
- Friday, Jan. 11, 2019: Teams and players must exchange filing salary figures for arbitration. Arbitration hearings are expected to be held in early February
- Feb. 1-20: Arbitration hearings
The Dodgers did not have a Gold Glove Award finalist, nor will their National League Rookie of the Year streak be extended after Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger won in 2016 and 2017, respectively.