This article is from the September 8th edition of the Seattle Times. The article was written by Larry Stone.

Around the horn: Deal is good news for franchise-hungry Portland

By Larry Stone
The Seattle Times

The group trying to bring major-league baseball to Portland has been energized by the new labor agreement, which removes the immediate threat of contraction from the Montreal Expos.

The Expos likely will decide within the next 10 days whether they will return to Montreal for another lame-duck year, or move to a new city for the 2003 season.

The Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia area is considered the front-runners for eventual relocation, but Orioles owner Peter Angelos strongly opposes encroachment into what he believes is his team's territory.

Because of the obstacles faced by D.C./Northern Virginia, Portland officials believe they should be considered a viable contender for the Expos. They point to the presence of PGE Park, home of the Class AAA Portland Beavers, as an interim site that would be immediately ready to house a team. Portland, however, has yet to nail down funding for a new stadium. One Internet report out of Canada last week suggested that Paul Allen might be interested in buying the Expos and moving them to Portland in time for next season.

Drew Mahalic, chief executive officer of the Portland Sports Authority, said the labor agreement "is the best piece of bright information we've had regarding major-league baseball. What it does is open the door of opportunity for Portland to be proactive in securing a relocated team."

One intriguing solution would be to have the Expos play in multiple sites next year. Some home games could remain in Montreal, while others could be divided among cities vying for a team, such as Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia, Portland and possibly Sacramento, Las Vegas or Charlotte.

Such an arrangement would buy time for cities to finalize ownership and stadium issues, while giving contenders, in essence, a tryout to show how committed they are to major-league baseball. The logistical problems are an obvious drawback, but faced with another year of huge losses in Montreal, MLB might conclude it's the lesser of evils.