In one of my worlds, one team signed a "B" free agent and immediately traded him to the team receiving the B pick for a couple of prospects. It seem reasonable to assume that the free agent would not have been signed has this not been prearranged. Thoughts?

Sure looks like it.

Collusive transactions

Collusion includes any act that supports bad, deceitful or illegal behavior agreed upon by two or more users. Here are a few examples:

• Trades that clearly benefit one side.
• Dropping/waiving a player so that another team may pick him up.
• Using 1 team to scout for another team (i.e. share projected ratings).
• Intentionally throwing a game to ensure another team improves its chances for a post-season bid.
• Intentionally signing questionable players that benefit the former club (i.e. Type-A free-agents.)
• Arranging a trade with another franchise so the other franchise can sign a free-agent resulting in the other franchise receiving compensation picks.

Thanks, much appreciated.

I don't believe it's ever been against the MLB collective bargaining agreement to factor comp picks into a trade. Or for 2 teams to make a handshake agreement to sign each other's Type A/B FAs.

If one or both GMs posted in WC when the trade was accepted that a comp pick was part of the motivation for the deal, that would not be a reason for me to veto the deal.

If other GMs think it is, they could veto the deal.

There are so many other things that could be improved in HBD, I'd hate to punish the GM(s) who thought outside the box and figured a way to put together a win-win deal where part of the win was one or both getting a comp pick.

I get that others will disagree with me on this. Which is why I pointed out that disclose would be important and any deal can be vetoed by fewer than 1/2 the GMs. The veto system isn't perfect, but I can't think of a better way to limit really bad trades.

It's still collusion, and it's still against the rules, whether agree with it or not.

Of course this particular discrepancy will be mute if WIS/HBD ever eliminates A and B free agents which MLB did in 2011.