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MLB offseason 2015: Important offseason and award announcement dates

By Kyle Franzoni

Dec 8, 2014; San Deigo, CA, USA; A general view of the podium at the MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2014; San Deigo, CA, USA; A general view of the podium at the MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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The regular season is officially over, but the real fun begins now. The MLB offseason promises to be cooking at the Hot Stove fires up.

The Kansas City Royals are only hours removed from becoming the World Series Champions, winning the 2015 championship after besting the New York Mets in five games. The Royals never looked doubtful, out-pitching, out-hitting, out-executing against the Mets at every corner.

The whole thing ended in the bottom of the 12th inning, the second of two extra-inning affairs, with the Wade Davis striking out Wilmer Flores to end it. With that final pitch, the Commissioner’s Trophy was hoisted by the Royals and the curtain officially falls on the 2015 Major league Baseball season.

However, baseball is the game that never sleeps and just because the season has ended doesn’t mean the games are over. Now the chess matches begin, with the MLB Hot Stove season officially underway with the opening of the five-day exclusive negotiating window for teams and impending free agents. From there, qualifying offers get submitted and the free-for-all bidding begins to sign the best players on the market.

Next: The MLB All-Time 25-Man Roster

The Hot Stove season features a number of important starts and stops, with the opening of free agency, the Winter Meetings, and Awards selection dates. As such, any astute baseball fan should know these dates as we fire up the Hot Stove and gear up for next February.

November 2, 2015 – First day that players can file for free agency. Five-day exclusive negotiating window begins for current teams to negotiate with impending free agents.

November 6, 2015 – Deadline for team to extend qualifying offers to impending free agents. Qualifying offer equals one-year contract worth $15.8 million for 2016 offseason.

November 7, 2015 – First day free agents are eligible to sign with any team.

November 9-12, 2015 – General Managers Meetings begin in Florida.

November 10, 2015 – Rawlings Gold Glove selections announced

November 11, 2015 – Wilson Defensive Player of the Year winners announced

November 12, 2015 – Silver Slugger Award winners announced

November 13, 2015 – Deadline for players extended qualifying offer to accept one-year deal with incumbent team. Those players who do not accept can sign anywhere, but signing team must surrender a draft pick to previous team.

November 16, 2015 – American League and National League Rookie of the Year announced

November 17, 2015 – American League and National League Manager of the Year announced

November 18, 2015 – American League and National League Cy Young Award winners announced

November 19, 2015 – American League and National League Most Valuable Player winners announced

December 2, 2015 – Deadline for players to extend contract offers to arbitration eligible players. Non-tendered players will become free agents, while tendered players will receive the ability to negotiate contracts with their current teams before potentially meeting with an arbitration panel to determine a fair salary based on performance and service time.

December 7-12, 2015 – Baseball’s Winter Meetings begin in Nashville, Tennessee. This event includes the Rule 5 Draft and is where a lot of offseason trades go down.

February 20, 2016 – Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

Keep an eye out on FanSided.com as we cover every breaking story during the MLB offseason and keep you warm at the Hot Stove.

(h/t MLB Trade Rumors and MLB.com)

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