Juan Pierre still wants to know if he has a role with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pierre's situation remains in limbo until Manny Ramirez signs with a team.

Pierre arrived at spring training yesterday in Phoenix, showing up three days early and feeling the same as he did at the end of last season — frustrated.

"I kind of feel like I'm in the way around here," he said. "Last year, I wasn't helping the team or me. It was torture for me.

"All I want is a chance to compete."

A career .300 hitter whose 429 steals are tops among active players, the 31-year-old Pierre won't know whether he's a starter or a part-timer — or possibly even with another team — until Ramirez makes his decision.

Pierre, who had at least 656 plate appearances each of the previous five seasons, last year started just 71 times and had 375 at-bats. He batted .283 and had 40 steals.

He had signed a five-year contract for about $45 million with Los Angeles in November 2006 after having played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado and Florida.

After initially being bumped from center to left last season by the acquisition of Andruw Jones, Pierre missed 20 games when he sprained his left knee sliding on June 29 and went on the disabled list for the first time in his career.

Shortly after Pierre returned, Ramirez was acquired and took over in left. A couple of younger players, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, filled the other two outfield spots.

"We were winning, so I kept my mouth shut. I'm a realist and all those guys were playing well. Manny, he's a Hall of Famer; Andruw was a future Hall of Famer. One thing they want that I can't do is hit for power," said Pierre, who had 13 career home runs.

Will he request a trade if he's not a regular this season?

"I played 60-something games (last year). I'm not happy. Use your logic," Pierre said.

Manager Joe Torre can't do much to clarify the outfielder's status.

"Right now as you look at it, he's our regular left fielder until the decision is made on Manny," Torre said. "He certainly has proven he could do that in the past. Last year before he got hurt, he was our regular."

Asked if the Dodgers would accommodate a trade request by Pierre, Torre said, "That's a tough question. He's certainly valuable. We're certainly sensitive to his desires, too. I know Ned (general manager Ned Colletti) also is sensitive to that.

"But until we know for sure who we're going to have on this club, I think that's a little premature right now."

RED SOX

RIGHT FIELDER DREW SAYS BACK STILL HURTING

Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew is still bothered by back stiffness from a herniated disk that limited him in 2008.

Drew said yesterday that he had an MRI after the season and the exam didn't show any serious damage. He said he fought the injury all offseason, but it continues to linger.

"It's still pretty stiff," he said. "I've been able to hit and run and all of that stuff. I'm just in the maintenance stages."

Drew was limited to 109 games last season, batting .280 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs.

TWINS

CATCHER MAUER TO BE LIMITED IN SPRING CAMP

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer will be limited as spring training camp opens today with the team's first official workout for pitchers and catchers.

Mauer, who won his second batting title last season, had surgery Dec. 22 to remove a blockage from one of his kidneys.

"I still have all of my parts intact," Mauer said. "It was something I've had since birth."

Mauer said he hoped to be ready by opening day.

YANKEES

A-ROD APOLOGIZES TO SI WRITER ROBERTS

Alex Rodriguez called Selena Roberts, the Sports Illustrated reporter who broke the news Feb. 7 that Rodriguez had failed a drug test in 2003, to apologize to her.

Rodriguez ranted about Roberts during his Feb. 9 interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons, in which he admitted using steroids from 2001 to 2003 while with the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez accused Roberts of trying to break into his house during the interview. Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post and CNN first reported that Rodriguez had called Roberts to apologize for his false accusation. Roberts was at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday and confirmed Rodriguez's call.

In the ESPN interview, Rodriguez had said: "Sports Illustrated pays this lady, Selena Roberts, to stalk me. This lady has been thrown out of my apartment in New York City. This lady has five days ago just been thrown out of the University of Miami by police for trespassing. And four days ago, she tried to break into my house where my girls are up there sleeping and got cited by the Miami Beach police."

Roberts denied trying to break into Rodriguez's house, and there were no police citations against her. Roberts is writing a book about Rodriguez that is titled "A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez" and is due out in April.

FREE AGENT

PUDGE AWAITING OFFERS AS CAMPS OPEN

Ivan Rodriguez looked as feisty as ever, explaining why he's physically and mentally ready to play baseball.

The 14-time All-Star catcher, though, is still looking for a place to play.

Rodriguez said he might sign soon with the Florida Marlins, Houston Astros or New York Mets.

Or, he might need to stay patient.

"I don't know where I'm going to play, but a team is going to win the lotto when I sign," Rodriguez said last night in an interview with The Associated Press. "I still feel I can play three or four more years, to be honest, because of the way I take care of myself."

The way Rodriguez took care of himself in the past has been questioned, most notably by former teammate Jose Canseco.

Rodriugez's mood changed when that subject was broached during a wide-ranging interview in his 44th-floor apartment overlooking Miami Beach.

Is the 37-year-old star known as Pudge on the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids during baseball's 2003 survey?"Only God knows," Rodriguez said softly.

Canseco, a former teammate in Texas, has alleged he injected the steroids into Rodriguez.

Another former teammate, Alex Rodriguez, recently said he used performance-enhancing drugs while with the Rangers.

"Alex is a great guy, he's the best player in baseball and he's going to be OK," Ivan Rodriguez said. "People don't know how hard he works."

ELSEWHERE

Phillies: Utilityman Miguel Cairo signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia yesterday and will get a chance to earn a roster spot in spring training. Cairo is a career .266 hitter in 13 seasons. He spent last year with the Seattle Mariners, hitting .249 with 23 RBIs in 221 at-bats.

Indians: Free agent infielder Tony Graffanino agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians and will report to their Goodyear, Ariz., training camp today. Graffanino has played with six teams during a 12-year major league career.