Royals To N.L.?

Baseball owners, having given up for now on radical realignment, are considering proposals in which only one team would switch leagues next season.

Kansas City is the team most likely to switch to the National League next season, one owner and one management official said Monday, speaking on the condition they not be identified. However, it also was possible that either Milwaukee or Minnesota could be the team to switch, they said.

Owners are faced with a Wednesday deadline to make a decision.

“There’s been no decision on either one of those fronts,” acting commissioner Bud Selig said. “We’re not close to any type of decision. We’re still studying a myriad of options.”

If Kansas City, Milwaukee or Minnesota switches to the N.L., Detroit most likely would move from the A.L. East to the A.L. Central, creating an opening for Tampa Bay in the A.L. East.

The N.L. would either put the new team in the Central or switch to four divisions with four teams in each.