Link

 

Credit: CNNSI.com

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- The players' association and the commissioner's office have closed in on a deal that would allow about 22 Expos' games to be moved from Montreal for the second straight season.

 

"We've nailed down virtually everything," union lawyer Gene Orza said Thursday. "We are extremely close to a deal."

 

 

 

Baseball is considering moving the games to San Juan, Puerto Rico, or Monterrey, Mexico. Twenty-two games were moved last season to San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and Orza said San Juan remains the favorite to host games in 2004.

 

No final decision on sites has been made.

 

"The agreement that we're on the verge of reaching agreement is applicable to both," Orza said.

 

Expos players initially balked at moving the games next year, complaining of the travel this year.

 

The two big issues in the final stages of negotiations have been that players want 2004 to be the last year of temporary solutions for the Expos and they want assurances on the amount of the team's payroll and how it is administered.

 

The Expos were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. Baseball has discussed a permanent move to Northern Virginia; Portland, Ore.; and Washington, D.C.

 

Before deciding on a permanent site, baseball owners want financing in place for a new ballpark.

?????

this s*** again? if they're going to do this s*** every year just move the damn team already. if they cant find someone else to build a stadium yet than play all 81 games in Montreal. this team plays 22 extra road games compared to the others and that really isnt fair

they can move the team if they want, but it's not going to be good if they move it to a latin america. the marlins would have to give up their monopoly on quasi-latin ties. apparently those ties are what got us miggy. it's a bit silly IMO since we aren't nearly as latin as we used to be.