Philly Front Office

Don’t worry, I heard you. As you sipped your coffee this morning and stared out into the balmy mid 30s gray of the coming commute thinking to yourself “when is the NHL Draft Lottery?”, I heard you. “Ed, since your in my thoughts, can you tell me when the NFL franchise tag deadline is?” Don’t worry, Gary, I’ve got you….and it’s “you’re.”

Below are all the upcoming dates that you, Philadelphia Sports Fan, need to know. Some dates are estimates since leagues don’t think it’s necessary to plan ahead. They, unlike me, are inconsiderate. -ish dates are based on last year’s dates, synced up with the 2025 calendar because they have not been announced yet.

December 8-11, 2024 – MLB Winter Meetings: This is where most of the fun happens in the MLB off season. Anybody who’s anybody is at the Winter Meetings haggling, promoting, and to a lesser extent conducting league business. Look for free agency to really get moving here.

December 11, 2024 – MLB Rule 5 Draft: Those not protected on the 40-man roster are eligible to be poached by other teams. The Phillies are routinely active here so we will deep dive later.

December 15, 2024 – MLB International Free Agency Ends: Teams must use their international pool money by this date. It is a “if you don’t use it, you lose it” situation. The 2-year wait to sign international free agents begins.

January 15, 2025 – MLB International Free Agency Begins: After 2 (not so) whole years, international free agency begins anew! Most teams spend their international money right away so expect news of signings to come pretty quickly. The big deal here is Roki Sasaki who will most likely not sign during the previous window because teams are out of money. Whatever team signs him though will mostly blow their whole pool. This could create some problems with deals already completed via handshake while these international kids were still in the womb (he is going to the Dodgers y’all).

February 6, 2025 – NBA Trade Deadline: Whether the Sixers are buyers or sellers, this date will be the only time this season this team has any real juice as we slog toward the finish.

(February 9, 2025 – Super Bowl: We aren’t talking about this. Just sayin’)

February 13, 2025 – Pitchers and Catchers Report: [sings] It’s the most wonderful time of the year [no more singing]. Things just feel normal again. anyone who hasn’t made it down to Clearwater for Spring Training is missing out. It really is a wonderful time [I said no more singing!].

February 14, 2025 – March 26, 2025 – Death by Sixers: Spring Training gets old by about the second day of games and the NFL Draft is just too far away. I recommend everyone get very into college basketball. I’m sorry Flyers, you aren’t overtly killing our wills to live but you aren’t keeping us alive either.

February 24, 2025 – March 3, 2025 – NFL Scouting Combine: The NFL televises college athletes running, jumping, and lifting weights for an entire week and because it’s March we absolutely devour it like water in a desert. JUST HOOK IT INTO MY VEINS.

March 4, 2025 – NFL Franchise Deadline: The Eagles rarely do the franchise/transition tag thing and this year likely won’t be any different. It is March though and we are desperate for anything football at this point.

March 7, 2025 – NHL Trade Deadline: Yes, I know hockey exists! Danny B. and company are going to be moving pieces this year so not only am I going to report it, but I am going to learn it so I know what I’m talking about too.

March 10, 2025 (Noon) – NFL Legal Tampering Period: NFL Free Agents can start talking to other teams and unofficially agree to deals. Despite this being incredibly complicated and important, somehow deals will be agreed to and reported within minutes of the opening free for all.

March 12, 2025 – NFL League Year Begins: This is a big day in the league where every team needs to enter the year salary cap compliant before they can sign free agents. Look for teams to release veterans and have news of their big signings broken by Adam Schefter.

March 27, 2025 – Opening Day: The unofficial end of winter and finally something to focus on after all our NCAA tournament brackets have been busted.

April 13, 2025 – NBA Regular Season Ends: There is a chance the season lasts a few more days, but who cares?

April 17, 2025 – NHL Regular Season Ends: There is a chance the season lasts a few more days, and hell yeah if it does!

April 24-26, 2025 – NFL Draft: The lead up to the draft is long, exhausting, and mostly pointless but goddamn is it awesome. I will be watching literally every second of the first two days, family duties be damned.

May 6ish, 2025 – NHL Draft Lottery: More likely and more ideal than making the playoffs is the draft lottery. A few years back we were unlucky enough to get lucky and get the #2 spot in the draft to get Nolan Patrick. Let’s hope we get lucky to be lucky this time.

May 12ish, 2025 – NBA Draft Lottery: If the Sixers don’t make the playoffs they better damn well hope they win the lottery because the pick is only top-6 protected this year.

June 26ish (maybe 27ish too?), 2025 – NBA Draft: Oh baby, if it’s not top-6 it is not looking like the Sixers will have any picks this year! Keeps getting better.

June 28ish-29ish, 2025 – NHL Draft: Thanks to everyone’s least favorite Swede Cutter Gauthier, the Flyers have an extra second round pick this year. We have a third second round pick as well from the Ivan Provorov trade. Should be a little more fun than the NBA version.

June 30ish, 2025 – NBA Free Agency Begins: This is the beginning of the new year in the NBA. Maybe by then we will have found something to be positive about? Maybe the team came together and had a good run? Maybe we win the lottery? Or maybe everyone demands a trade and the whole front office and coaching staff is fired. Either way.

July 23ish, 2025 – NFL Training Camp Begins: The Phillies will hopefully be having a good un-Sixers-like summer at this point, but who doesn’t like it when they start putting on the pads and the rookies mix with the vets for another year of Eagles ball?

July 31ish, 2025 – MLB Trade Deadline: The Phillies are going to do their heavy lifting in the off-season but they will still have prospects to move come the deadline. Trader Dave is always looking to make moves (I know 2024 was underwhelming, but still).

September-ish 2025 – FOOTBALL IS BACK: No word yet on the start date, but ’tis the season.

October-ish 2025 – Hockey is Back!: – This is the year the Flyers should be looking to win.

October-ish 2025- basketball season: [cries]