The current labor deal runs until December 2006.

"But I'd rather do that than have a bad labor deal."

"No question the last labor deal did some things that have helped to come closer to parity," Beane said.

Negotiations have been slow on a new labor deal, despite regular meetings between league officials and the players union the last two months.

Precise terms will not be set until the league completes its new labor deal.

That moratorium will be lifted once the new labor deal is complete, but the league no longer expects it to happen by July 22.

And even then, the labor deal will almost certainly have to be tweaked, at least to avoid the owners' opt-out.

As for the vote on the labor deal, the owners voted 28-1 with one abstention in favor of the extension.

The labor deal is expected to cost the team an extra $25 million because of additional revenue-sharing payments and a new luxury tax.

Geiger would get the maximum salary allowed under the new labor deal with the signing.