ST. LOUIS (AP) – Negotiations with the Baltimore Orioles over the proposed move of the Montreal Expos to Washington have been slowed by the postseason, but baseball’s No. 2 official said Tuesday that plans remain on track.

Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, has been traveling for much of the month, slowing talks with Joe Foss, the Orioles’ chief operating officer.

“The negotiations remain cordial,” DuPuy said before Game 3 of the World Series. “We had a discussion. We had agreement on most of the philosophical points. We had disagreement on a few of the points, and we continue to discuss points like rational human beings.”

For the move of the Expos to become final, it must be approved by baseball owners, considered a formality. In addition, the District of Columbia government must enact legislation providing $440 million in financing to refurbish RFK Stadium and build a new ballpark.

“We are very confident the District will get it done, the legislation will get passed, the rehab will occur to RFK, we’ll open the season in Washington next year and return baseball to the nation’s capital,” he said.

DuPuy said 10-to-24 potential ownership groups had expressed interest and that after a preliminary review, the commissioner’s office will invite them to examine the team’s financial records. The Expos were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season.

Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations, is likely to take a leave of absence from the commissioner’s office to become the Expos’ interim general manager, a top baseball official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He would replace Omar Minaya, who quit during the last week of the season to become general manager of the New York Mets.