Some Progress in Talks

Negotiators for baseball owners and players met for two hours Friday and made progress on two issues, but they remain far apart on a luxury tax and will resume talks on a new collective bargaining agreement Monday in New York.

Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president for labor relations, said the union responded to some suggestions made earlier in the week regarding minimum salaries and a benefit plan.

Revenue sharing and a luxury tax, however, remain obstacles.

“On the topic of revenue sharing, we have made a lot of progress--we need to make a little more,” Manfred said. “On the luxury tax, I have a long way to go.”

The two sides will not meet this weekend, but Manfred characterized the meeting calendar for next week as “an every-day affair.” When asked about steroid testing, Manfred said he expected the union “to make a proposal responsive to baseball’s drug policy” next week.

Union chief Don Fehr has been conducting briefings with all of the clubs and has only one more to do, with the Boston Red Sox early next week. It is expected that the union’s executive board will then have a conference call Tuesday or Wednesday, at which time they could set a strike date. However, if the negotiations are producing progress, the setting of a strike date could be delayed a week.

“A strike date does create time pressure,” Manfred said. “People are making genuine efforts to get to an agreement without the need for that.”