Yankees President Randy Levine Says He Is 'Confident' MLB Avoids a Lockout as Dec. 1 CBA Deadline Nears

With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1, less than five weeks from today, Oct. 28, the Yankees' front office is publicly split between optimism and refusal to talk specifics.

Yankees president Randy Levine said he is "confident" a deal gets done. Owner Hal Steinbrenner, asked last week why he backs a salary cap, said only that he supports the proposals.

Levine: "It's always posturing"

Levine spoke on "The Craig Carton Show." He described the standoff as a normal stage in a labor fight.

"It's very, very early... They want to reach an agreement. It's always this way in every labor negotiation I've done. It's always posturing at this point in time, getting your position out," Levine said.

He added that he has seen harder situations. "This one looks hard, but at the end of the day, I'm confident everyone wants to get a deal."

Levine also pointed to the sport's momentum. "The whole playoffs have been great, the whole season has been great. Baseball is regaining popularity, it's the national pastime, so we gotta work hard to just preserve it."

The cap is the fault line

The owners' proposals all include a salary cap. Players and owners appear as far apart as they have been in years. If there is no deal by Dec. 1, owners are expected to lock the players out.

That is what happened five years ago, when the lockout delayed the start of the season by one week.

The Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 on a walk-off in Game 4 of the World Series to force a Game 5. If the sides are still apart on Dec. 1, the next game after this series could be a long way off.

Steinbrenner on the record

Steinbrenner took questions from reporters on a 54-minute Zoom last Wednesday, Oct. 21, two days before the World Series opened. He serves on MLB's labor policy committee.

He was pressed twice on the cap. His first answer was direct about his role.

"I helped craft, one of many, the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table. And I support those proposals in their entirety," Steinbrenner said. "That should answer your question."

When reporters followed up, he grew irritated. "We're two days away from the World Series, OK?" he said. "This is, in my mind, a time to celebrate the game... Now's not the time I'm going to start labor conversations. It just is not."

He did add this: "We are working hard on our end... I'm optimistic we're gonna get a deal done, and we're gonna get a deal done that's favorable for both sides."

The question he did not answer

The New York Daily News noted that Steinbrenner has voiced conditional support for a cap in the past, provided it comes with a salary floor. The paper also pointed out that he has not explained how a cap would help the Yankees compete, given that he finances one of baseball's top three payrolls every year.

The Yankees' payroll figures vary by measure. Fox reported a $336 million payroll, third in baseball behind the Dodgers ($422 million) and the Mets ($338 million). Spotrac ranked the Yankees third at $308.3 million. The Daily News put the club's competitive balance tax payroll at a franchise-record projected $341.8 million.

By the Daily News' account, Steinbrenner is backing a system that would strip his team of a financial advantage while lining up with other owners, who tend to vote as a bloc.

Steinbrenner's stated position is simpler. As he put it, he helped write the proposals and stands behind them. He says the playoffs are not the time to litigate them.

The clock is fixed. The CBA expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is the expected result if the cap fight is unresolved.

Levine says the posturing will give way to a deal. Neither he nor Steinbrenner has said what the owners would give up to get a cap, or whether a salary floor is part of the package.