Photo Day doesn't develop for Wells

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Maybe he thought there was no reason to waste perfectly good film or digital space, but David Wells took a pass on the team's annual Photo Day yesterday morning, when the players smile for a variety of cameras -- including in-house photographers and baseball card shooters.

Wells, whose good-natured media boycott is now eight days and counting -- he jokingly told Bob Holtzman of ESPN he'd do an interview ''after Manny" -- wants to be traded by the Sox, so why pose for mugshots in a uniform he is planning to shed by Opening Day?

Wells still isn't putting any weight on his surgically addressed knee, but ''his arm is fabulous," according to manager Terry Francona.

Yesterday's shoot had an added wrinkle. The nine Sox players intending to take part in the World Baseball Classic modeled their new jerseys, though Mike Timlin's Team USA jersey was so small, he wondered aloud if they'd sent him Derek Jeter's by mistake. But you had Italia (Lenny DiNardo), Dominicana (David Ortiz, Julián Tavárez), USA (Timlin, Jason Varitek), Puerto Rico (Alex Cora), Venezuela (Alex González), Canada (Adam Stern), and Australia (Trent Durrington). The players are expected to leave Thursday to join their WBC teams, with the exception of Durrington, because Australia will be training here. The Red Sox play their first exhibition Thursday vs. the Twins.

Cora, who briefly was at the top of the Red Sox' depth chart at shortstop until the club signed free agent González, said he has no issue with what he termed a ''weird" offseason, a reference mostly to Theo Epstein's gone-and-back-again status as general manager. Cora figures to be the team's top middle-infield reserve, with everyone, including the returning Tony Graffanino, assuming Graffanino will be traded in camp. ''Theo knows what he's doing," Cora said. ''I'm just going to get ready for whatever role they have for me. [González] is above the charts. I've seen him play in the National League, and he's unbelievable. I also think he'll benefit from the whole atmosphere here. It's different playing in front of [5,000] or 6,000 people, like he did with Florida, and when you have a packed house every night."

It's T-minus 2 days and counting for Manny Ramírez's scheduled March 1 arrival in camp, though it would surprise no one in camp if the outfielder decided to show up before then. Ramírez still hasn't officially withdrawn from the WBC, but Sox officials are privately very confident that Ramírez intends to honor his pledge to remain with the club, one he made in an unusually upbeat conversation with Francona. ''I don't know that," Francona said when asked if he expected Ramírez to work out Wednesday, assuming he checks in. ''I really didn't ask him. I think you can tell I'm not shook up about one day or the other. He's not going to run in and play the next day, anyway. We'll get him comfortable, and we'll get him out there a couple days later."

Francona did not watch Josh Beckett's first session of live batting practice, saying he doesn't want to put too much emphasis on the pitcher's every outing. Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jon Lester were among those who threw live BP, Ortiz losing the grip on his bat after one particularly nasty Lester breaking ball. ''Did you see me put my bat down?" he said. ''He threw good. But his velocity was not the same out of the stretch. He'll learn." . . . Lester was the highest-rated Sox player on the newly released Top 100 prospects list from Baseball America, checking in at No. 22. Other Sox on BA's hot 100 were Papelbon (37th), Craig Hansen (54th), and Dustin Pedroia (77th). Three of the prospects traded by the Sox also made the list: Andy Marte (14), Hanley Ramírez (30), and Anibal Sánchez (40). Marte went to the Indians in the Coco Crisp deal, Ramírez and Sánchez to the Marlins in the Beckett/Mike Lowell deal. Former Maine prep star Mark Rogers of the Brewers was ranked 44th. Baseball America says its list is based on a player's long-term major league value, ''a combination of his upside and his likelihood of reaching that ceiling."