The November 40-man crunch
Five days after the World Series (Nov 5, 2026) every 60-day IL player comes back onto the 40-man. Six-year free agents leave the same week. What is left is the roster a club must fit Rule 5 protections into by Nov 17, 2026 and then tender contracts to by Nov 20, 2026. The projected count below is 40-man plus 60-day IL minus departing free agents; anything near 40 means outrights, non-tenders or trades before the deadline.
| Team | On the 40 | 60-day IL returning | Free agents leaving | Projected count | Out of options | Arbitration-eligible | Rule 5 exposed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants | 40 | 16 | 1 | 55 | 5 | 7 | 49 |
| Athletics | 41 | 9 | 2 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 49 |
| Washington Nationals | 40 | 8 | 0 | 48 | 5 | 8 | 46 |
| Colorado Rockies | 40 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 4 | 5 | 54 |
| Kansas City Royals | 40 | 9 | 4 | 45 | 5 | 11 | 54 |
| Boston Red Sox | 40 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 4 | 16 | 41 |
| Detroit Tigers | 40 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 3 | 12 | 57 |
| Miami Marlins | 39 | 5 | 1 | 43 | 5 | 12 | 69 |
| Minnesota Twins | 40 | 6 | 3 | 43 | 5 | 10 | 44 |
| Chicago Cubs | 40 | 9 | 7 | 42 | 5 | 11 | 53 |
| New York Mets | 39 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 5 | 12 | 52 |
| Seattle Mariners | 39 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 39 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 44 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 40 | 5 | 4 | 41 | 8 | 16 | 53 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 40 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 7 | 10 | 40 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 40 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 12 | 52 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 38 | 5 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 17 | 46 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 40 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 4 | 11 | 42 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 40 | 9 | 9 | 40 | 1 | 9 | 42 |
| Chicago White Sox | 40 | 7 | 7 | 40 | 5 | 8 | 40 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 40 | 2 | 3 | 39 | 1 | 11 | 53 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 40 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 1 | 6 | 57 |
| Texas Rangers | 40 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 2 | 10 | 57 |
| Houston Astros | 40 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 6 | 10 | 43 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 40 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 5 | 15 | 41 |
| San Diego Padres | 40 | 6 | 9 | 37 | 4 | 8 | 48 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 40 | 4 | 8 | 36 | 6 | 9 | 49 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 39 | 6 | 10 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 59 |
| New York Yankees | 40 | 3 | 10 | 33 | 3 | 10 | 61 |
| Atlanta Braves | 38 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 31 |
Free agents leaving counts players projected to six years of service with no 2027 contract; club, mutual and player options are treated as staying. Data as of Sep 14, 2026.