It is a dark time in baseball right now, as the owners have implemented a lockout of the players and the sport is currently at a standstill as the league and players try to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement. For the most part, the focus and most intense negotiating is going to be with respect to the economic setup of the sport, including but not limited to things like how long it takes for players to reach free agency.
That is all very important and has a huge impact on how seasons play out as well as the development of the game.