Omar Minaya is leaving the Montre al Expos to become the head of baseball operations for the Mets.

Minaya, the general manager of the Montreal Expos for the past three seasons, was contacted earlier this week and told the Mets yesterday that he would to return to New York, a baseball official said on the condition he not be identified.

Mets owner Fred Wilpon declined comment when reached at his home last night.

Minaya had spoken with the Mets last offseason and was offered a job, but declined it when he was not offered full decision-marking power. He now will be above general manager Jim Duquette in the hierarchy, although his formal title has not yet been determined, the baseball official said.

Minaya’s hiring probably will be announced Friday, the official said, when the Expos start a season-ending three game series at New York.

He was senior assistant general manager of the Mets before he was hired by the commissioner’s office as general manager of the Expos in 2002. He is known for his emphasis on scouting and player development.

Yesterday in Alanta, Johnny Estrada’s sixth-inning single off starter Tom Glavine broke a 2-2 tie and sparked a three-run rally that carried the Braves to a 5-2 win over the Mets for a split of a doubleheader.

Glavine (10-14) fell to 1-6 against his former team after giving up five runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and fanned three.

The Mets got strong pitching from Steve Trachsel to win the opener 2-1 on a pair of solo home runs by Gerald Williams and Eric Valent.

Trachsel snapped a personal five game losing streak on September 16 when he beat the Braves in New York. He evened his record against the Braves this season to 3-3.