Alvin Moore & Atlanta Braves
Arbitration Proceeding
MLB-MLBPA Arb. 77-18 (1977)
Relevant factsFree
Moore's (plaintiff) one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves (defendant) included a covenant letting him demand a trade to a team of his choosing, or become a free agent if no trade occurred, despite having under a year of MLB service — far short of the five years the collective bargaining agreement required for free-agency eligibility; the league president disapproved the covenant as inconsistent with the league's reserve and free-agent re-entry system, and the players' union grieved on Moore's behalf.
IssueFree
Whether a Major League Baseball player and a team may agree to a contract that includes unique covenants, so long as those covenants do not infringe on the protected interests of other teams.
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