The Major League Baseball Players Association may be willing to agree to contraction -- as long as it is considered a concession as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Union chief Donald Fehr told the Washington Post that contraction -- the elimination of a pair of major league teams -- would only be considered by the players as part of negotiations for a new CBA. The current agreement between the owners and players officially expires on Nov. 7.

"You can't do a deal just on contraction," Fehr told the Post by telephone. "It affects too many other things."

Baseball spokesman Richard Levin told the Post it is baseball's position that a separate deal could be negotiated on contraction.

The Windsor Star of Ontario reported earlier this week that the Montreal Expos and the Florida Marlins would be bought out by MLB and folded after the World Series. The Miami Herald, quoting two "industry sources," reported Thursday that the Minnesota Twins were more likely to be shut down than the Marlins, and that they would stay in business through next year.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig told the Post on Wednesday that "no definitive decisions" have been made on contraction.

Selig told the Post on Wednesday that he didn't know if contraction could be done in time for next season. However, Fehr's comments to the newspaper may force Major League Baseball to address the issue as early as Nov. 7, the day the CBA expires.

Three high-ranking baseball executives on other teams, speaking on the condition they not be identified, said no information has been distributed by Selig to ballclubs about the possibility of eliminating teams.

Another top baseball executive, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Selig had not made his thoughts known to his inner circle and was unlikely to do so until just before he decides what he wants to do.

Selig's stance has teams wondering.

"Where there's smoke, there's usually fire," Arizona owner Jerry Colangelo said Friday. "But I really don't know."

Owners have not discussed folding teams with the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to union head Donald Fehr. The union maintains that getting rid of teams is subject to collective bargaining and that owners can't take such action without the permission of the players' association.

Owners must decide at next month's meeting whether they will lock out players -- which would be the sport's ninth work stoppage since 1972.

"All these are moving parts," Selig said. "We have to solve issues in the various areas."

Eliminating teams before next season appears unlikely. Several teams already have released schedules for next year, and all 30 clubs are scheduled to play.

Teams already are committing to charter flights and hotel rooms based on the preliminary schedule, which still awaits approval from the union, which much approve interleague play each year.

While some owners believe they can eliminate teams without the union, most say a deal with the players' association would have to be negotiated on how to disperse players on the eliminated teams, such as Montreal's star outfielder, Vladimir Guerrero.

And given the past bargaining sessions between the sides, talks on any substantive issue are likely to be lengthy.

Folding teams would involve the loss of about 60 jobs for players, and the union would want them to receive the money that would have been spent on those salaries to come to players in other areas.

"To my knowledge, from everything I've been told, the Florida Marlins will continue to exist in 2002, and that's how we're proceeding," Marlins president Dave Dombrowski said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.