MLB lockout talks recess, will resume Monday as deadline nears

Negotiators for locked-out players and owners recessed their talks until Monday, the day Major League Baseball had set as a deadline to salvage March 31 openers.

The sides held a series of short and more frequent meetings that management considered productive. The talks stretched into Sunday night and are set to resume at 10 a.m.

MLB said that by the end of Monday's session — whenever it finishes — either there will be a deal or the league will begin to cancel regular-season games. MLB had said that was the latest an agreement could be reached to allow enough training time to start the season as scheduled and play 162 games.

Some of those issues were in play during negotiations in which management wants the union's agreement to expand the postseason from 10 teams to 14, two more than players have thus far been willing to accept.

Between 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem made four walks from the offices in the main part of Roger Dean Stadium to the area where players caucus in the Cardinals clubhouse building beyond the right-field wall.

Max Scherzer, Andrew Miller and Marcus Semien attended the talks, a smaller group than in recent days, along with union head Tony Clark and chief negotiator Bruce Meyer. Scherzer, who lives nearby, left in late afternoon but may return.

Baseball's ninth work stoppage started Dec. 2. Spring training games were to have begun Saturday and have been canceled through March 7.

MLB began the day offering to raise the luxury tax threshold from $210 million last season to $214 million this year, increasing it to $220 US million by 2026. Teams also want higher tax rates, which the union says tend to act like a salary cap.

Players had asked for a $245 million threshold this