JUPITER, Fla., March 27 (UPI) -- Jose Canseco will have to pursue his dream of 500 home runs with a team other than the Montreal Expos.
The Expos released the 37-year-old Canseco Wednesday after he decided against accepting an assignment to the minor leagues.
Canseco signed a minor league contract with the Expos in February after batting .258 with 16 homers and 49 RBI in 76 games with the Chicago White Sox last season.
Canseco has been relegated to designated hitter for most of the last decade and was trying to demonstrate that he could play the field in the National League.
In 14 spring games, Canseco hit .200 with three homers and five RBI.
Canseco is a 17-year veteran who broke in with Oakland in 1985 and has spent time with Texas, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees.
The AL Rookie of the Year in 1985, Canseco was the Most Valuable Player in 1986 when he became the first player ever to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in the same season.
A six-time All-Star, Canseco is 22nd all-time on the home run list with 462. Among active players, only Barry Bonds (567) has more.
Canseco has set 500 homers as a goal with the hopes that all eligible members of the 500-homer club have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He already is one of just nine players with 400 homers and 200 stolen bases and has hit more home runs than any other player born outside the United States.
The signing of Canseco was the first player move by new Expos General Manager Omar Minaya.
