Spring training delay looms after latest lockout talks

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A delay to spring training looms as increasingly likely as MLB and the players union appear no closer to a new labor agreement after their latest meeting.

Which also puts an on-time start to the regular season in jeopardy.

The league and union met again Tuesday, talks characterized in multiple reports as "heated," with ESPN's Jeff Passan reporting "little progress" was made.

According to multiple reports, the union on Tuesday slightly modified its proposal regarding a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, along with its proposal regarding service time manipulation. 

In a meeting last week, the two sides discussed the parameters of a bonus pool for players with 0-3 years of service time as a way to address the union's concern for getting younger players paid sooner.

The two sides remain far apart on key economic issues such as the luxury tax and minimum player salaries.

With teams scheduled to report in two weeks, the chance of starting spring training on time looks remote, barring a last-minute change of events.

They still could salvage an on-time start to the regular season, with a truncated spring training, but it becomes less likely which each passing day without an agreement.

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