MLB gives itself six hours to save start of season as player talks struggle on

Major League Baseball gave itself and the players’ association six hours to salvage opening day.

After 13 bargaining sessions lasting nearly 17 hours produced progress toward a labor deal but left the sides still far apart, MLB extended its deadline to Tuesday at 5pm. The sides planned to resume talks at 11am on the ninth straight day of bargaining.

Commissioner Rob Manfred had said Monday was the last possible day to reach an agreement that would allow the minimum time needed for spring training in order to play openers as scheduled on 31 March. The union said it didn’t necessarily agree to the timeframe and just as the sides agreed to recess at 2.30am, MLB gave players the new deadline.

“We want to exhaust every possibility to get a deal done,” an MLB spokesman said.

The players’ association planned to analyze the latest proposals and prepare a response for when talks resume at Roger Dean Stadium, the vacant spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

The sides agreed, subject to an overall deal, to expand the postseason from 10 to 12 teams, rather than the 14 MLB had hoped for. But on central economics, the sides were still searching for agreement, including the minimum salary and the luxury tax threshold.

Players and the league had met just six times on core economics during the first 10 weeks of the lockout.

Emotions became more heated as the sides pressed for each other’s bottom line on Monday.

Philadelphia star Bryce Harper posted a photo on Instagram altered to show him in a Japanese baseball uniform with the words: “Yomiuri Giants you up? Got some time to kill.”

Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon, who attended negotiations last week, tweeted: “Players are used to their ‘threats.’ Owners