IRVING, Texas -- They probably will be called "Los Expos" along with "Les Expos" next season.

Montreal would open its new part-time home in Puerto Rico on April 11 against the New York Mets under plans developed by the commissioner's officer.

While the proposal still hasn't been finalized, baseball officials are discussing having the Expos play 10 games in April at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium against the Mets (April 11-14), Atlanta (April 15-17) and Cincinnati (April 18-20), several baseball officials said Tuesday on the condition they not be identified.

Negotiations are ongoing between the commissioner's office and the Players' Association, and it still hasn't been decided whether the Expos will make three trips or two to Puerto Rico, where they would play up to 20 of their 81 home games. Owners were to be briefed on the plans when they met Wednesday, their first gathering since the end of the season.

Possible games in San Juan also include the interleague series against the World Series champion Anaheim Angels (June 3-5) and a matchup with Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs (Sept. 9-11).

"It doesn't affect me where we play," Expos manager Frank Robinson said Tuesday after agreeing to come back for a second season in Montreal. "It will be great to play in front of the people down there. They're great fans. I spent nine years down there managing in winter ball."

In addition, the commissioner's office was working on finalizing a plan to have the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners open the 2003 season with a two-game series in Japan in March. The Mets and Cubs played the first regular-season games in Japan, opening the 2000 season with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome.

San Juan was the host for its first regular-season game in 2001, the season opener between Texas and Toronto.

The Expos, who became the first franchise outside the United States, have been at or near the bottom in attendance in recent years at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Jeffrey Loria sold the team to the other 29 clubs before the 2002 season when he purchased the Florida Marlins, and the team is operated by the commissioner's office, which wants to cut losses.

Montreal drew just 812,000 fans to its home games this year, and baseball isn't ready to decide on a permanent move. The games in San Juan are seen as a method to increase revenue.

"I really don't think it will affect the play of this ballclub on the field," Robinson said. "They understand that they're in a very different situation here, a unique situation. We really have no control over where we're going to play the games."

Baseball officials hope to have a permanent solution for 2004, and probably will hold a bidding process. Charlotte, N.C., Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., are among the possible contenders.