His winter of content

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As far as David Ortiz has come -- from the waiver wire last winter to designated hitter of the year -- he could have whined after he was unable to strike a deal on a multiyear contract last month with the Red Sox. But he viewed the one-year, $4.6 million pact he made with the Sox to avoid salary arbitration as destiny instead of a diss.

"I think everything worked out the way it was supposed to," he said yesterday after he arrived in camp a day early. "Better things can happen. It's all about timing."

It's also about production, and if Ortiz can match last year's -- 31 homers and 101 RBIs in just 128 games -- his future may be rosier than a Florida sunset. Whether it unfolds in Boston may be another story since he could be eligible for free agency after the season.

Having the Twins place him on waivers last year and watching a wild winter of trade speculation, culminating with the Yankees trading his friend, Alfonso Soriano, to the Rangers for Alex Rodriguez, reminded Ortiz all too well that baseball is a business.

"Boston is a great place to be," he said. "But I always say it's good to love the game, but it's not good to get in love with the team that you play for because things happen. I hope I can end my career with a team, and next thing you know, you're out. You're playing for somebody else."

His pal, Manny Ramirez, who told him he felt like he had nine toes in Texas and one in Boston while the Sox tried to trade Ramirez for A-Rod, is expected to have all 10 toes in camp today. Asked how he expected Ramirez to respond to the offseason controversies, Ortiz said, "Who knows? Everybody knows Manny. He'll be out here having fun just like everyone else and doing what everybody knows he can do. Last time I heard from him, he was in Costa Rica or something like that."

Still, Ortiz acknowledged, "Manny is a bag full of news. I just hope things work out the way everybody expects."

Ortiz, who for the second straight year helped the Dominican Republic win the Caribbean World Series, said he hopes not only to improve on his production but prove himself as a part-time first baseman.

"Everybody knows it's tough being just a DH at my age," said Ortiz, who is 28.

Taking it slow

Don't expect to see Keith Foulke work overtime in spring training even if he recovers rapidly from the mild strain of his left calf. The closer, who injured his calf Sunday, threw on a practice field for a while yesterday but did most of his conditioning indoors. Manager Terry Francona said Foulke was improving and the injury was not considered problematic.

"He is usually one of the last to get on the mound [in spring training] anyway because that's what he prefers," the manager said. "It's not a setback at all."

Francona said Foulke believes he geared up for the regular season about two weeks too quickly last year with the Athletics.

"He needs eight innings this spring, and he'll be ready to go," said Francona, who was Oakland's bench coach in 2003.

Reporting for duty

Pedro Martinez, who has missed three workouts to tend to a family medical issue, is due in camp today with the last wave of 19 position players, including Nomar Garciaparra and Ramirez. The last player to arrive early yesterday was utilityman Terry Shumpert, who will compete for a bench job . . . Francona was impressed with Curt Schilling's second bullpen session of the camp. "I thought he put on a clinic," Francona said. "His command was much better than the other day. He was crisp with everything. That's the way he pitches." . . . The manager also issued his first evaluation of David McCarty, who is trying to win a job as both a righthanded pinch hitter and lefthanded reliever. "He actually threw the ball pretty good," Francona said. "He handled himself real well." . . . Jason Varitek caught Tim Wakefield's bullpen session rather than the knuckleballer's regular catcher, Doug Mirabelli, but Francona cautioned against drawing any conclusions. Francona said he would review the situation during spring training, though he praised the job Mirabelli did last season. "I know what happened last year," Francona said. "I don't want to shut the door to anything, but I also don't want to take away what works." . . . Rule V lefty Lenny DiNardo, hampered with shoulder tenderness, played catch but has yet to be cleared to throw off a mound . . . Righthander Jerome Gamble was held out of fielding drills with tightness in his left calf . . . The Sox were among a number of teams that scouted Orlando Hernandez in an open workout in Miami. They plan to continue monitoring El Duque's recovery from shoulder surgery. "He's a rehabbing pitcher," a team official said. "We'll keep an eye on him." . . . Principal owner John W. Henry had no response to a report in the New York Daily News that Yankees boss George Steinbrenner planned to file a grievance with the commissioner's office over Henry indirectly comparing the Boss to Don Rickles.