Positive mood may lead to deal

NEW YORK -- Baseball's top labor lawyer said Tuesday it was possible a bargaining agreement could be reached "in the next several days" to avert a threatened walkout by players.

One day after the union held off setting a strike date, talks resumed and focused on two key issues: management's desire for increased revenue sharing and a luxury tax that would restrain spending by high-payroll teams.

Though neither side pointed to any specific progress, management lawyer Ron Manfred said: "I think both parties feel tremendous pressure to get this resolved as quickly as possible."

The union's executive board has scheduled a telephone conference call Friday, and could set a strike date then if it thinks a deal isn't close.

Asked if he thought a settlement could be reached before the conference call, Manfred replied: "Friday is a little too specific for me. I continue to believe we are close enough that it is possible to make an agreement in the next several days."

Union head Donald Fehr was more reticent in discussing the latest session.

"At this stage, daily running commentary is not something, I would suggest, that would enhance rather detract from making a deal," he said.

Some players optimistic

But Johnny Damon of the Boston Red Sox said players "get the feeling the owners think we can get something done by the end of the week."

"If they really want to work with us, we're ready, but if not, a date might have to be set," he said.

Both sides say the luxury tax is the biggest hurdle to a settlement, disagreeing on what it is supposed to do.

"We view it as certainly something that artificially restrains payroll," Fehr said. "But one of the things it does is transfer money. He's being grossly oversimplistic."

For Manfred, a stiffer luxury tax is a must.

"My view is that it's clear that if an agreement is reached in the next few days, it will contain a luxury tax," he said, adding that "the tax mechanism that was in the last Basic Agreement would not be acceptable to us this time around."