interestobserver...yes, baseball has no right to impose slotting or restrict trade, just as its illegal to force players to be slaves for organizations for 6-9 years before free agency, it's against the law for the owners to force minor leaguers to play in spring training without pay, and it's illegal for college players to be ineligible for the draft before 21 years old. Seriously, your statement is ridiculous. Is it illegal for players to demand first class travel, first class hotels without roommates, daily meal money on roadtrips, a $400k salary floor, etc. No! It's called Collective Bargaining, not a restriction of free trade.