Independent developers: Get ready for a big November

The 2026 World Series kicks off tonight, pitting the Milwaukee Brewers against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's going to be a big series, with two of the best teams in the majors going head-to-head.

Above all, this will be the last series of games before the labor dispute, as a lockout is expected to begin on December 1.

We should, of course, expect the labor dispute to have an impact on the offseason. After all, teams will no longer be able to speak with players starting December 1.

This means that free agency, which begins five days after the end of the World Series, will be affected. And in the eyes of many, we can expect a busy November in terms of signings.

That's according to Andy McCullough (The Athletic), who spoke with a number of executives on the subject.

From @ByMcCullough: MLB's lockout is coming. Before it arrives, baseball insiders expect a free-agent frenzy. Unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/MJdFIEQii9

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 22, 2026

It's worth noting that in 2021, when a lockout began on December 1, we saw a similar scenario play out. In particular, the Rangers reached agreements with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien shortly before the labor dispute began.

That was the winter when there were a ton of shortstops on the market. Javier Báez also signed quickly, while Trevor Story and Carlos Correa signed in March.

It stands to reason that the big-name players, in particular, will have an incentive to sign quickly. With the threat of a salary cap, they'll likely want to secure a big contract rather than risk signing in a market where a salary cap would limit the spending power of the big-market teams.

At the same time, perhaps some teams will prefer to wait before opening their checkbooks to try to sign players in a market where a salary cap is in place. The dynamics will be unique: we'll see if this benefits certain clubs more than others.

• Today's lineups.

• Pat Murphy came close to managing the Mets in 2019.

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