MIAMI – Although John Henry is admittedly out of options in his pursuit of a new ballpark, the Florida Marlins owner insists he is not considering selling the team or purging payroll.

However, Henry has not ruled out relocating the financially-strapped franchise.

"This was our last hope," Henry said Saturday night, a day after the state Senate in Tallahassee adjourned without voting on the plan for public financing for a $385 million ballpark proposal. The House passed the measure with a 98-13 vote.

"One man and one organization can only go so far," Henry said. "At some point you say to yourself, this is just madness, especially without a viable solution. We've been expecting to win. We have not been expecting to fail ... I don't know what's going to happen at this point."

Henry and baseball commissioner Bud Selig claim baseball cannot survive in South Florida if the Marlins don't get a new ballpark. The Marlins, who began play in 1993, want a retractable roof on the new ballpark -- a feature Henry says is necessary to keep rain from causing attendance problems.

Henry, who says he expects to lose $20 million this year, said the team would need to have a financing plan in place within 30 days to open a new ballpark by 2005.

"There's still the possibility that someone will come up with a miracle in the next 30 days or so and we can find $250 million or whatever we're short to build this ballpark," Henry said. "But it's probably unrealistic."

Henry could sell the team or relocate it. He also could dismantle it of high-priced players -- much like founding owner H. Wayne Huizenga did after Florida's 1997 World Series title.

Huizenga sold the club to Henry in 1999.

"I'm not going to comment or speculate on what happens at this point," Henry said. "We have spent the last 2½ years expecting to be successful. At some point, we just can't continue. It doesn't make sense."

With Henry intent on keeping the team and opposed to another payroll purge, relocation might be the most viable option.

Northern Virginia, Portland and Las Vegas are looking to add baseball franchises, but none have come up with financing for a ballpark.

The Marlins may find themselves competing for these potentially viable markets with the Montreal Expos, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics.

"Things might work out, you never know," pitcher Ryan Dempster said. "Already people are talking about relocation. None of us wants that. It is something that's far off. We'll have to wait and see what happens. Our job is to keep playing ball the way we know we can."

Others already seem to be making plans for the future.

"What else can happen?" outfielder Cliff Floyd said. "We can't stay here. What franchise can survive with 8,000 people a night or less? This is sad for South Florida because this team was headed in the right direction."

The Marlins currently share Pro Player Stadium with the Miami Dolphins. That stadium was built with private money by Dolphins' founder Joe Robbie, although the stadium's owners are receiving $60 million in tax breaks to adapt it for baseball. Henry gets very little revenue from the stadium.

"We could probably build our own ballpark, but we wouldn't be competitive for the next 30 years," Henry said. "We could do that, but it would make no sense to field minor leaguers, and everybody would write about what jerks we are for the next 30 years."