JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Independent baseball is a step closer to moving to Joplin, after the city council approved a lease agreement for the stadium that would house a team that once played in El Paso, Texas.

The lease approved Tuesday requires the city to spend $4 million to upgrade Joe Becker Stadium, which would be the home of the former El Paso Diablos.

The Joplin Globe reports the council still has to consider a performance agreement, which will be presented next month.

The city is negotiating with WLD Suarez Baseball, investors in the El Paso franchise from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which includes the Wichita Wingnuts and Kansas City T-Bones.

The Suarez group is pledging to spend $5.3 million for other improvements as its part of the agreement.

 

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