What year did baseball free agency start?

Baseball free agency began in 1976 after the landmark arbitration ruling in favor of pitcher Andy Messersmith and infielder Dave McNally, which effectively eliminated the reserve clause that had previously bound players to their teams indefinitely. This ruling allowed players to negotiate contracts with any team after a certain period, fundamentally changing the landscape of Major League Baseball. The first official free agent signing occurred in the 1976-77 offseason, when outfielder Dave Winfield signed with the San Diego Padres.