The Orioles attempted to sign Ponson, who can be a free agent after the season, to a contract extension, but he declined their three-year, $15 million offer about two weeks ago and they did not make any substantive progress toward an agreement.
But neither side reported any substantive progress as they searched for a formula that would include deep spending cuts, cost-saving changes to entitlement programs and an overhaul of the tax code that would increase revenues by closing certain tax breaks and eliminating deductions but also lower some tax rates.
They failed to make any substantive progress on their intractable conflict over Kashmir, a land claimed by both nations, or on reducing the risks of a nuclear exchange.
Some nuclear monitor experts speculated at the time that Iran had sought to mollify Mr. Amano as part of an effort to set a positive tone at the nuclear talks, which concluded without any substantive progress.
Referring to Friday's meeting, he said: "I don't have any expectation that we'll make any substantive progress.
Torre Still in Limbo George Steinbrenner, the Yankees' principal owner, met with Manager Joe Torre last week, and although Torre will not discuss his contract talks with Steinbrenner, others in the organization do not think any substantive progress was made.
The N.B.A.'s filings are unlikely to change the direction of the discussions because legal proceedings can take months and even years to resolve, and any substantive progress in ending the stalemate will take place at the negotiating table.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador, warned that the Myanmar authorities should not use the process of talks and invitations to Mr. Gambari as a substitute for substantive progress on ending military repression and moving the country toward democracy.
Netanyahu had been warned by the visiting Norwegian foreign minister, Børge Brende, on Wednesday to expect a fresh wave of international pressure over making substantive progress towards a two-state solution once the Iran deadline ha dpassed.
That's encouraging: they would present the first possibility of substantive progress since a failed round of "exploratory" talks between Washington and Pyongyang in February , 2012
But while both sides harbored hopes of an agreement, there was little substantive progress.
