MONTREAL -- In a sign contraction is dead for 2002, the Montreal Expos released their schedule Monday and said they were confident of playing this season.

Report: Expos, Twins were only contraction candidates

With contraction all but dead for this winter, the Houston Chronicle reported that baseball management told the Players' Association that Montreal and Minnesota were the only teams under consideration for elimination before Opening Day. Owners voted on Nov. 6 to eliminate two teams but did not identify them, and contraction has been on hold since Nov. 16, when a Minnesota judge issued an injunction that forces the Twins to honor their 2002 lease at the Metrodome. Management negotiators Rob Manfred and Paul Beeston told the players' association last week that if owners succeeded in their plan to eliminate teams for this season, the Twins and Expos were the only candidates, two people familiar with the talks told the newspaper Monday on the condition of anonymity. Lawyers for the Twins and Selig have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to lift the injunction, but the high court won't decide until Friday at the earliest whether it will take the case. Even if the Supreme Court takes the case, it's unlikely to issue a decision on the injunction before Feb. 14, the first day teams can start spring training workouts. -- ESPN.com news services

Ever since baseball owners voted Nov. 6 to eliminate two teams, the Expos' status had been unclear. While owners didn't pick the franchises they wanted to fold, Montreal and Minnesota were the likely targets because of their low local revenue and their failure to obtain government financing for new ballparks.

The contraction plan has been stalled since Nov. 16, when a Minnesota judge issued an injunction that forces the Twins to honor their 2002 lease at the Metrodome. The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the injunction last week.

"We are confident that baseball will be back in Montreal in 2002 and I just want to express my sincere appreciation for our fans' patience and support during what has been a very trying offseason," Expos executive vice president David Samson said.

The Expos were the last of the 30 major league teams to release their schedule. They also said Monday they will install a new artificial surface at Olympic Stadium by the April 2 season opener against Florida.

Montreal faces a staff turnover in the next few weeks. Expos owner Jeffrey Loria is negotiating a $158 million purchase of the Marlins from John Henry, who heads a group that already has been given approval to buy the Boston Red Sox for $660 million.

Once he reaches an agreement to buy the Marlins, Loria is expected to sell the Expos' franchise back to the other 29 teams for $120 million.

Loria is expected to take many top Expos' officials with him to Florida, including Samson, interim general manager Larry Beinfest and manager Jeff Torborg.

The commissioner's office will then appoint a chief executive officer to run the Expos this season. Either the commissioner's office or the new CEO will hire a general manager and possibly a manager.

Montreal drew just 619,451 fans to Olympic Stadium last season, an average of 7,648 per home game, by far the lowest in the major leagues. Florida was 29th at 1.26 million, an average of 15,765.

The Expos' had operating revenue of $34.2 million, last among the 30 major league teams. Minnesota was 20th at $56.3 million.

Montreal will start selling season tickets this week, and individual game tickets will go on sale March 1.