NEW YORK (AP) – The Montreal Expos reached agreement Tuesday night to acquire two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez from Texas – provided the Rangers’ slugger waives his no-trade clause and approves the deal.

Texas manager Buck Showalter confirmed a deal was in place to move Gonzalez, but did not identify the other club. But two baseball sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the team was Montreal.

Gonzalez has 72 hours to accept or reject the trade. His window of decision begins at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday. The outfielder was not in Texas’ lineup for Tuesday night’s game at home against Oakland.

“We obviously put a lot of importance into the no-trade provision we negotiated a year and a half ago. I’m

not in a position yet to say what Juan’s decision will be,” said his attorney, Jeff Moorad.

Gonzalez refused repeated requests for comment in the clubhouse before the game against Oakland.

Gonzalez, who missed seven of 11 games before Sunday because of a tender right elbow and then a tight left groin, is hitting .286 with 18 homers and 50 RBIs.

Showalter wouldn’t say if other players from the Texas organization would be involved in the trade if Gonzalez approves it.

The surprising Expos are in thick of the NL wild-card chase. Their 6-4 victory Tuesday over Pittsburgh made them 43-34, leaving them among several clubs in the race for a postseason spot.

Montreal general manager Omar Minaya is very familiar with Gonzalez.

Minaya is credited with helping develop Gonzalez for the Rangers in the mid-1980s, when he coached the Gulf Coast Rangers for three years.

Rangers first baseman Rafael Palmeiro spoke to Gonzalez, but said his teammate and close friend didn’t indicate what he would do.

“He said he wants to look at all of this options. He’s not going to jump to any conclusions,” Palmeiro said.

The Rangers went into Tuesday night’s game with an eight-game losing streak, the longest in the majors. They are 27-47 and 22 games behind AL West-leader Seattle, having finished last in the division the past three seasons.

“There’s a certain message sent when one of your star players is traded,” Palmeiro said. “But we’re not losing because of a lack of effort. We’re preparing the same way. We’re just not getting results.”

Texas traded outfielder Ruben Sierra to the New York Yankees on June 6, for a minor leaguer, and is expected to make more moves before the July 31 trading deadline. Several teams have expressed interest in Rangers closer Ugueth Urbina, and starter Ismael Valdes and outfielder Carl Everett are also potential movers. All are eligible for free agency after this season, as is Palmeiro.

“It’s an unfortunate part of the game,” said Showalter, in his first season at Texas’ manager. “You are always looking to make your club better short-term and long-term, and help yourself financially. But sometimes it depends on what order those are in.”

Gonzalez is in the second year of his $24 million, two-year deal he signed to return to Texas before the 2002 season. Of his $12 million salary this season, $4.5 million is deferred.

The Expos are run by Major League Baseball and not inclined to take on additional payroll.

In June 2000, the Detroit Tigers reached agreement to trade Gonzalez to the New York Yankees – but Gonzalez rejected that proposed deal.

He broke into the majors with Texas in 1989 and became an everyday player in ’91. He was the AL MVP in 1996 and ’98, but was traded to Detroit in a nine-player deal in November 1999 because he was going to be a free agent the following season. He played just one season with the Tigers and then spent a year in Cleveland before returning to the Rangers.

Last year, Gonzalez tore muscle fibers in his right thumb the first week of the season and never got over it. He sat out the final two months, playing just 70 games and finishing with eight homers and 35 RBIs, both career lows.

AP-ES-06-24-03 2045EDT