Offseason

The offseason is a fixed list of steps. Select Advance Offseason on the Dashboard to move through them in order. In a league on a scheduled pace, the league advances on its own schedule, so you may not see the button. Your commissioner sets the pace. The timeline on the Dashboard shows where you are. This page lists each step under the name the timeline shows, says whether it waits for you, and says what to do.

Some steps run on their own. Others pause the offseason so you can act. There are two kinds of pause. At the draft, the offseason cannot move until the pick is made. At the other pauses you can advance again right away, but that advance closes the window.

A league that starts in the winter skips the first six steps. The timeline marks each skipped step with "Didn't run for this league."

Minors season & awards

Triple-A closes its season and the year-end awards post. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. You do nothing.

Retirements

Veterans retire. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. Check News for the list.

Aging & development

Every player ages one year and grades adjust. Some young players develop. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. Open your Roster to see the new grades.

Options & expirations

Club options and player options for next season are settled. Then deals that ended with the season just played roll off rosters, and those players hit free agency now. A player who already signed an extension stays. The pool on the Free agency screen grows.

This step pauses only when your club holds a club option for next season that you have not decided. The pause comes once a season. It waits for you, but you can advance past it.

1. Open the Dashboard. It lists a Club option decision row for each open option.
2. Select a row to open that player's page.
3. Select Exercise or Decline.
4. Select Advance Offseason.

An option you leave open is declined on the next advance, and your club pays a 10% buyout. The buyout is dead money. You can also decide an option early, at any time from the playoffs until this step. To exercise an option, you need cap room for it in next season.

A player decides his own player option at this step. If he stays, his deal runs through the option year. If he leaves, he hits free agency.

If no club option of yours is open, this step runs on its own and does not wait for you.

Owner meetings (budgets)

Next season's team budgets are set. In a league that uses Market tiers, owners adjust budgets based on performance. In a league that uses Equal budgets, budgets do not change. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. See the Owner's box.

Winter Meetings prep

This is the last automatic step before the Winter Meetings open. It does not wait for you. You do nothing.

Winter Meetings: scouting budget

The offseason pauses here. It waits for you, but you can advance past it.

Set your scouting department's spend for the year ahead. A bigger budget gives sharper scout grades.

1. Open Front office.
2. Move the budget slider and select Set allocation.
3. Select Advance Offseason.

If you advance without setting a budget, the offseason moves on anyway. The next advance closes the Winter Meetings.

Scout boards refreshed

New grades become available across every team. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. You do nothing.

Extensions & winter trades

The offseason pauses here. It waits for you, but you can advance past it. AI clubs re-sign some of their players and make winter trades.

1. Open your Roster.
2. Select Offer extension on the player page for each player whose deal ends after next season and whom you want to keep. Last season's expired deals are already gone to free agency, so they are not on your roster. You can add an option year or a partial guarantee to the offer. See Contract terms.
3. Use Trade if you want to make a deal. The trade desk stays open through this step.

If you advance without extending a player, the player stays on your roster for next season. The deal then runs out at the next Options & expirations step, and the player hits free agency.

Draft

The rookie draft runs here. It has 5 rounds, and every club gets one pick in each round, so you make 5 picks. The Draft Room shows each as "Round N". You make each of your own picks in the Draft Room. The offseason waits for you. It cannot move on while a pick is waiting, and advancing again does not change that.

1. Open Draft.
2. Pick a player each time your club is on the clock.

You can skip the wait. If you have a queue, the draft takes the top player on it for you. If you turn on draft autopilot in Front office, every pick of yours is made for you.

Free agency rounds

Free agency runs as a series of sealed-bid rounds, one after the draft ends. The number of rounds is a league setting. The default is 5. The timeline shows one step for each round, and the Free agency screen shows "Round 1 of 5" or whatever your league uses.

Each round pauses the offseason. It waits for you, but you can advance past it.

1. Open Free agency.
2. Set your max bid for each player you want. You make one offer per player. See Sealed in the Glossary.
3. Select Advance Offseason. The advance closes the round and settles every bid.

Each later round, the lowest offer a player's camp accepts drops. Waiting can save money, but another club can sign your target first. Bid hard on players you must have and wait on depth.

Roster compliance & autofill

Empty roster slots are filled to league minimums before opening day. This step runs on its own and does not wait for you. The next advance starts the new season.