Important dates for St. Louis Cardinals fans to know in the 2024-25 MLB offseason

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With the World Series having come to a close, the Major League Baseball offseason begins.

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games in a rather uninspiring World Series. That means John Mozeliak and Chaim Bloom's work on the player side of the game will begin.

While the St. Louis Cardinals have been active already this offseason filling out front office spots and coaching roles, they have yet to make any major player moves, whether they be trades, free agent rumblings, or contract extensions for certain players. All of that is about to change. The simple Kyle Gibson/Lance Lynn moves have been completed. Now, it's time to roll.

Here are some important dates and deadlines for the 2024-2025 MLB offseason.

Right after the World Series ends

Once the champagne has been popped and the trophies have been awarded, free agents are eligible to be signed, and trades can begin for all teams. With the Dodgers winning the title on Wednesday night, teams now have until Monday, November 4th to make decisions on impending free agents and those with options attached to them.

The Cardinals entered the offseason with three players who are guaranteed to become free agents: first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, reliever Andrew Kittredge, and infielder/designated hitter Matt Carpenter.

Five days after the World Series ends

Five days after the World Series ends, teams must resolve qualifying offers for players and contract options. Currently, the Cardinals have only one player whom they would consider giving a qualifying offer to: Paul Goldschmidt. The value for a qualifying offer for 2025 is set at $21.05 million, just a smidgen below Goldy's 2024 salary of $22 million.

The Cardinals entered the offseason with several players with club options for 2025. Starting pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have options worth $11 million and $12 million, respectively, both with $1 million buyouts. Reliever Keynan Middleton, who didn't log a single inning all year due to injury, has a $5 million club option for 2025. All three were declined on Thursday, we'll before the official deadline.

Declining these options will free up quite a bit of capital, something ownership is keen on doing this offseason. Goldschmidt's qualifying offer is a bit tricky, as that isn't a terribly expensive price tag, and he still means quite a bit to the fanbase. However, I would imagine Goldy declines that offer should it be extended to him in search of a two-year deal. He would have ten days to accept or decline that option if the Cardinals offer it.

General Managers meetings

It's standard for all 30 general managers (or presidents of baseball operations) to meet each year in November. This year, those meetings are scheduled for November 5-7 in San Antonio. Major deals or transactions typically don't happen at these meetings; however, the heads of baseball operations are able to begin discussing players of interest or valuation of players in trades.

40-man roster deadline

40-man rosters must be finalized this year by November 15. This would include activating players on the 60-day Injured List and placing players who are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft on the 40-man roster. This year, by my calculations, the Cardinals have 48 players who could be added to the 40-man roster. Obviously, not everyone will be added, but players like Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, Matt Koperniak, and Matt Svanson are names of players who could be added.

Any player not added to the 40-man roster by November 15th will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

Non-tender deadline

This year's deadline to tender contracts to players without multi-year deals or who aren't on the 40-man roster falls on November 22nd. Any player not offered a contract by November 22nd will become a free agent at the end of the day. The Cardinals and these players could still negotiate new deals if an agreement isn't reached by the deadline.

MLB's Winter Meetings will occur in early December.

This is where most of the wheeling and dealing will occur this offseason. The Winter Meetings are where reporters, fans, aspiring journalists, and club officials convene each year for a few days. Historically, this is where trades will occur or become close to finalized. The event is scheduled for December 9-12 in Dallas this year. Free agent signings could also occur, as player agents are in attendance each year, too.

The Rule 5 Draft has also historically taken place on the final day of the Winter Meetings. The players who were eligible for the Draft who were not added to the 40-man roster by November 15th are now eligible to be plucked by opposing teams. In 2024, the Cardinals selected a number of players via the Rule 5 Draft, but only Ryan Fernandez from the Boston Red Sox made contributions to the major-league squad.

Any player drafted in the Rule 5 Draft must be added to the team's active roster or his rights will return to the prior team. Any players the Cardinals draft and activate via the Rule 5 Draft will also cost them $100,000, awarded to the team losing that player.

Arbitration Deadlines

Historically, the Cardinals have been a "file and trial" team when it comes to arbitration cases. This means that the team submits its offer to arbitration-eligible players, and the player must either accept the terms or decline them. If they are declined, the two parties will go through the arduous -- and oftentimes disagreeable -- arbitration process. The Cardinals and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley butted heads just a few years ago.

This year, teams have until early January to work out contracts with their arbitration-eligible players. If a deal can't be reached by January 10th, the team and player will exchange salary proposals until a dollar figure is settled on.

The Cardinals have only six players who are arbitration eligible this year: Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, John King, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Andre Pallante. It's expected that each player will receive a contract offer, though Ryan Helsley has been listed as a trade candidate. The sum of these contract offers, as predicted by MLB Trade Rumors, sits at $18.9 million, with Ryan Helsley's hefty $6.9 million projected leading the pack.

Last year, the Cardinals cut bait with players like Juan Yepez, Jake Woodford, Andrew Knizner, and Dakota Hudson. It seems likely that St. Louis will work out deals with each of the players listed above. Andre Pallante is slated to be a starter next year, JoJo Romero and Helsley are key cogs in the bullpen, Brendan Donovan is an all-around player, Lars Nootbaar will play everyday, and John King has proven himself to be a viable lefty out of the 'pen. Perhaps John King will not be extended a contract, but his valuation at $1.5MM isn't much.

Stay tuned to Redbird Rants for more offseason coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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