Big dates and offseason deadlines loom for the KC Royals

The first 5 days following the World Series are important for the KC Royals

The attention paid to Kansas City during the first five days after the Fall Classic ends won't be limited to trades and free agency. It's also during that period that contract options must be resolved and qualifying offers made.

Player options are contract provisions allowing players to either leave the club before their current deals expire ("opt-outs"), or extend their contracts whether the club wants them or not ("opt-ins"). Club options work the same way, but in reverse — teams can unilaterally decline their options to bring players back, or exercise them to bind players to another season. Mutual options allow players to return, or to leave, only if both parties agree.

Options must be picked up or declined no later than five days after the Series ends. Royals with player options include Wacha, outfielder Hunter Renfroe, and reliever Chris Stratton. Utility man Adam Frazier has a mutual option.

Qualifying offers are used by teams to lure certain free agents back into the fold. If made and accepted, a QO — projected to be $21.05 million this year — means the player returns to the offering club for another year. But QOs can be extended only to players, like Kansas City's Wacha, who've never received one before, and any team losing a player to whom they gave a QO may receive compensation in the form of an extra selection in the 2025 amateur draft.

Players receiving qualifying offers have 10 days to accept them; if they don't, they remain free agents.