Still no verdict on A- Rod’s HR bonus talks

MIAMI — As expected, Major League Baseball agreedMonday to extend Alex Rodriguez’s deadline for appealing theYankees’ decision to not activate a $ 6 million marketing agreement upon ARod’s tying of Willie Mays on baseball’s alltime home run chart.

According to a source familiar with the situation, the Players Association, acting on ARod’s behalf, formally asked MLB for a “hold” in the hopes of settling the potential dispute— but also maintaining the right to file an appeal later.

Monday marked the 45th day sinceARod hit career home run 660 ( onMay 1 at Fenway Park) that tied Mays. The Yankees, believing that ARod’s multiple confessions of illegal performanceenhancing drug usage made the milestone unmarketable, opted against initiating the agreement that was negotiated into ARod’s 10year, $ 275 million contract in December 2007.

As The Post first reported Saturday, the Yankees have offered to settle the case with a charitable donation. ARod hasn’t accepted that offer, but all involved parties — ARod, the Yankees, the union andMLB— have maintained steady, mostly peaceful discussion in the interest of common ground. That common ground ultimately could include such a donation.