How did Curt Flood’s actions influence future baseball players?

Curt Flood’s lawsuit against Major League Baseball led to the eventual establishment of free agency, allowing players with six or more years of service to negotiate their own contracts, significantly increasing their earning potential. When Flood died in 1997, Tom Glavine and David Cone, representing all the players who benefited from his legal action, acknowledged his role, saying in a statement, “Every major league baseball player owes Curt Flood a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”