NEW YORK -- Lawyers for players and owners met again Monday to go over their disagreement on management's plan to eliminate two teams next year but did not set a schedule for arguing the case.

Monday's meeting was required by the collective bargaining agreement that expired last week. Later this week, the sides probably will schedule dates to argue their positions before Shyam Das, baseball's permanent arbitrator.

"We have to talk to the arbitrator and find what dates make sense that are convenient," union head Donald Fehr said. "We'll know in two, three days what it looks like."

The union spent much of the day in a series of telephone conference calls with players on the Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins and Florida Marlins, the top candidates for elimination.

Owners voted last week to eliminate two teams next year but did not pick them. Montreal and Minnesota are the most likely teams to be chosen for contraction.

The players' association filed a grievance, claiming the move violated its labor contract.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said he hoped baseball would wait before deciding to fold the Twins.

"In fact, I think it would be very helpful if we can delay that decision for at least a year in order for the business community and others to look at ways to build a new stadium," Daschle said.

Daschle didn't immediately commit to supporting legislation that would rescind baseball's anti-trust exemption if it moves forward with the elimination of two teams.

Former Expos controlling owner Claude Brochu said the Expos would have avoided becoming a contraction candidate if a new ballpark had been built in Montreal.

"What I had in mind was that if we built a downtown stadium we would generate $50 million, $60 million, $70 million of additional revenue," said Brochu, who headed the team from 1991-99. "We would not be the Yankees, we'll never be the Dodgers but we would be a part of the group of teams that is kind of in the middle."

Brochu described his new book, published in French with an English version to follow in March, as a chance to finally defend himself against years of criticism of his handling of the team. He blames former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard for refusing public funding for a ballpark.

"I think it's a very sad occasion," Brochu said. "We're going to miss this team."