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Now that the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers are done battling for baseball supremacy, Ross Atkins will get back to work.

While the early days of free agency don’t usually offer up a whole lot of pen-to-paper transactions, players are set free at 9 a.m. the day after the World Series ends, allowing general managers around baseball to finally start putting their off-season plans into motion.

The Toronto Blue Jays GM may have one of the longest to-do lists in the league, as there is no shortage of roster holes to fill and a promise to contend in 2018 to keep.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the month of November as the MLB off-season gets going:

THE FREE AGENTS

Most of the dirty work here has been done.

In the midst of a down season, Marco Estrada was handed a one-year, $13-million contract extension, and Atkins is banking on the 34-year-old returning to his solid, mid-rotation ways next year.

The Jose Bautista era also came to an end when Atkins confirmed the 37-year-old’s $17-million option won’t be picked up, ending his decade-long run in Toronto.

Prior to all that, a pair of pending free agents in lefty Francisco Liriano and reliever Joe Smith were shipped out at the trade deadline.

That leaves utility infielder Darwin Barney, veteran catcher Miguel Montero and left-handed starter Brett Anderson as the prominent Blue Jays’ free agents.

There seems to be mutual interest in Anderson, who pitched to a 5.13 ERA and a 3.82 FIP in seven starts with the Jays, returning to compete for the fifth starter role if the 29-year-old can’t find more commitment elsewhere.

While not yet a free agent, getting former American League MVP Josh Donaldson signed long term will be a priority for the Jays front office this winter.

QUALIFYING OFFERS

One year after tendering fan favourites Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion the $17.2-million qualifying offer and watching them reject it, Atkins will have no such problem this winter.

With the qualifying offer number – the average of the top 125 salaries in baseball – rising to the $18-million range for a one-year deal, the Jays won’t even consider tendering one of their nondescript free agents.

There were only 10 qualifying offers last winter, with only two players – second baseman Neil Walker and right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson – accepting.

Teams have until five days after the conclusion of the World Series to issue a qualifying offer, and players have 10 days from there to decide whether or not accept.

Top-tier free agents such as Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Greg Holland are sure to receive QOs.

GENERAL MANAGER MEETINGS

Atkins and his cohorts will gather in Orlando from Nov. 13-16 for the annual GM Meetings, a place where pace of play and protective netting will be talked about, but a whole lot of groundwork is usually laid in terms of potential signings and trades, too.

Over the past couple of winters, however, some teams have tried to get out ahead of the pack by finalizing moves during the first half of November.

Atkins is one of them.

Last year, word of the Blue Jays signing DH Kendrys Morales and Cuban prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both leaked the day after the GM Meetings came to a close in Scottsdale, Ariz.

SALARY ARBITRATION

Factoring into the Blue Jays’ payroll equation for 2018 are raises for 10 arbitration-eligible players.

Donaldson ($17 million in 2017), starter Marcus Stroman ($3.4 million), left-handed reliever Aaron Loup ($1.1 million), centre fielder Kevin Pillar ($550,000), closer Roberto Osuna ($552,400), second baseman Devon Travis ($545,200) and starter Aaron Sanchez ($535,000) are all in line for big raises, while decisions will have to be made whether to tender players like right-hander Tom Koehler ($5.8 million), utility infielder Ryan Goins ($548,200) and Ezequiel Carrera ($1.2 million), who will all be seeking pay hikes, as well.​