Important dates for Cardinals fans to know in the 2026-2026 MLB offseason

While St. Louis Cardinals fans are prepared for an offseason unlike any other they've seen in the last few decades, the traditional rhythms of how the winter operates for Major League Baseball has not changed.

The Cardinals are officially a rebuilding club this winter, a position they have not found themselves truly in since the 1990s, and Chaim Bloom is now sitting in the chair of president of baseball operations after John Mozeliak stepped down from the role with almost 30 years of time with the club.

Many expect this to be an active offseason for the Cardinals, not in terms of big spending or major upgrades for the 2026 roster, but rather an offseason where Bloom will reshape the organization in order to get them on a trajectory for consistent, high-level contention for years to come.

With that being said, let's take a look at how this year's offseason schedule is shaping up!

Important dates for Cardinals fans to know in the 2025-26 MLB offseason

Qualifying offer deadline (five days after the World Series ends)

The MLB offseason will officially begin once the 2025 World Series champion has been crowned. Depending on when the series finishes, the qualifying offer deadline will fall somewhere between Nov. 2 and Nov. 6. Teams have five days to decide if they would like to extend a qualifying offer to their free agents.

This year, the Cardinals have just one player set to hit free agency in Miles Mikolas. There is no doubt that Mikolas will not be receiving the qualifying offer from the Cardinals. I wouldn't completely rule out a reunion occuring, though, as Chaim Bloom has been open about the Cardinals' need to bring in some starting pitching this offseason to bridge the gap to their young arms coming up through the system.

Non-tender deadline (Nov. 21)

Each year, teams are given a deadline for "tendering" offers to players in their organization, including both pre-arbitration and those who are arbitration eligible. This year, the Cardinals have nine players who qualify for arbitration, and names like John King and Jorge Alcala are obvious non-tender candidates.

The non-tender deadline this year is on November 21st, which is right after the Owners Meetings from November 18th through November 20th. With the Cardinals looking to be cost-efficient this offseason, I'm sure there will be more than a few names whom the Cardinals decline to tender an offer to.

MLB Winter Meetings (December 8-11)

With the Cardinals expected to be active in the trade market this offseason, the 2025 Winter Meetings will be critical this year. The Winter Meetings are happening December 8th through December 11th in Orlando, Florida, and this is often where we see a lot of action begin to take place across the industry as front offices from all 30 teams gather together.

This weekend also holds special importance for the Cardinals due to the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery, which takes place each year at the Winter Meetings. The lottery is set for December 9th at 3pm CT, and the Cardinals are set to have the eighth-best odds for the number one overall pick in a loaded draft class. If the Cardinals jump into the "lottery" for a second straight year (which means a top-six selection), they will be ineligible to select in the top 10 during the 2027 MLB Draft.

Chaim Bloom will also have an opportunity to add talent to the roster through the Rule 5 draft, which also takes place during the Winter Meetings on December 10th from 1pm-4pm CT.

2026 Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up and Cardinals Caravan

Two fan favorite events that happen each winter, the Cardinals are once again set to have their annual Cardinals' Care Winter Warm-Up at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village, as well as their traveling Cardinals Caravan.

Typically, these two events happen in January, but no dates have been released yet. Cardinals Caravan travels to various cities and states in "Cardinals Territory", giving fans an opportunity to meet players, prospects, and Cardinals media and alumni for a fun-filled Q/A and autographs for kids. Winter Warm-Up is an event that raises funds for Cardinals Care charity, and takes place over the course of a weekend where most of the Cardinals team is present for fan interactions.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training (February 2025)

The 2026 campaign will officially get underway in February when pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter, Florida for the start of spring training. No official dates have been released for this year, but spring training is a great time to go enjoy some nice weather, catch the Major League team and up-and-coming prospects in action, and get excited for the start of another year of Cardinals baseball.