Contraction Arbitrator Asks for More Time

Negotiators for the baseball owners and players worked separately Thursday, conferring only by telephone, but they are scheduled to resume talks on a new collective bargaining agreement in New York today.

Meantime, arbitrator Shyam Das notified the sides that he would need more time before delivering a decision on the union grievance challenging the owners’ right to unilaterally eliminate teams. Das was initially expected to rule June 15 but asked for a delay until Aug. 1. He set no timetable with his new request for more time.

It is unclear how his ruling would affect the current negotiations, but there has been speculation that his delays are aimed at giving the sides time to reach a settlement without his contraction ruling further clouding the process.

Commissioner Bud Selig has said that contraction remains on the 2003 calendar, but baseball would have to eliminate two teams for scheduling purposes and only the Montreal Expos seem to be a viable option now that the Minnesota Twins are guaranteed of playing in Minneapolis through next season.