NEW YORK -- Baseball owners will meet on Nov. 6 in Chicago, and there are signs commissioner Bud Selig may be considering eliminating two teams that are having money problems.

Montreal is the most likely candidate for elimination if owners decide to contract, with Florida and Tampa Bay also possibilities.

Asked by the Toronto Globe and Mail last weekend about the idea of contraction, Selig did not dismiss it as an option.

"A year ago I would have said that contraction is not a viable option," Selig said. "It is unquestionably today a viable option. "We have a lot of very significant problems that a lot of people don't seem to understand, but they're there and they're going to need some really tough solutions. And it's time that we have to address it and I just wouldn't rule anything out right now."

Selig was not optimistic about the situation in Montreal, where the Expos averaged just 7,648 fans a game this season, but still holds out hope that the Marlins could survive with a new ballpark. It is believed baseball would have to fold an even number of franchises in order to maintain balance

"I don't know that there's much I can add to the Montreal situation," Selig said. "I mean, the numbers are there for everybody to see."

A report in Monday's Windsor (Ontario) Star also said baseball will fold the Expos and Marlins after this year's World Series and then hold a player dispersal draft.

However, one baseball source said Monday that he was unaware of any new developments regarding the future of either franchise.

Owners have not gathered since mid-June, but the pending labor talks and the possibility of one or more teams folding have been hot topics on telephone discussions all year long.

"No decisions have been made on anything," Selig said Monday.

Three high-ranking executives on other teams, speaking on the condition they not be identified, said there had been no information distributed by Selig to major league clubs on labor or contraction. In addition, several teams have released their schedules for next season, and all 30 clubs are scheduled to play.

"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 Monday.

Owners have not discussed contraction with the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to Gene Orza, the union's No. 2 official. The union maintains that contraction is subject to collective bargaining and that owners can't eliminate teams without the permission of the players' association.

Devil Rays controlling owner Vince Naimoli declined comment, as did David Samson, executive vice president of the Expos.

As for labor, baseball's collective bargaining agreement expires immediately following the World Series and negotiations have not started. Selig has said since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that the earliest talks would start is November.

If owners wanted to stop free agents from signing, they would have to start a lockout no later than the 16th day following the World Series -- the first day free agents can sign with new teams. Selig has not made any widespread attempts to gain support for a lockout.

Baseball has gone through eight work stoppages since 1972.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.