What happened: Clubs could negotiate but not finalize outside deals until free agency opens with the Winter Meetings, while trades and reunions with former clubs would remain permitted. Signings would close Dec. 21, with all major-league transactions frozen until the first Monday in February.

Why it matters: MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer said the compressed window would pit players against one another. The calendar changes depend on approval of a salary cap-and-floor system, adding another point of conflict before the current CBA expires Dec. 1.

What to watch: Negotiators must determine whether the offseason calendar can advance separately from the broader cap-and-floor dispute.