Major League Baseball and the players association are close to an agreement that would shift 22 Montreal Expos’ games to San Juan for the second straight season.
Expos players, who previously said they were against returning to Puerto Rico, participated in a telephone conference call Wednesday with Gene Orza, the No. 2 official of the players’ union, and he said an agreement was “within reach.”
“There is a window of opportunity, but we’re still not there, yet,” Orza said.
Orza said players have two primary remaining issues, including an assurance on the Expos’ payroll and how it is administered. Players also want to make sure that 2004 is the final year of temporary solutions for the Expos, who were bought by the other 29 teams last year.
– The San Francisco Giants declined their $4 million option on outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. for next season, making him eligible for free agency. Cruz, who will get a $300,000 buyout, hit .250 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs in 2003.
– Astros manager Jimy Williams received a one-year contract extension, signing with Houston through the 2005 season. The Astros led the NL Central much of the season before losing out to the Cubs in the final week.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")