DODGERS: LEADING OFF WITH A DECISION.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- With baseball's winter meetings still awash in silence, Dodgers manager Grady Little stood in the foyer outside a hotel ballroom on Tuesday and withstood the first barrage of questions about the top of his batting order.

He came out of it smiling, despite knowing he will be asked about it a few hundred more times between now and next spring.

No, Little hasn't officially decided whether newly signed center fielder Juan Pierre or holdover shortstop Rafael Furcal will lead off. But yes, he will decide before the start of spring training, so that the Dodgers can at least begin Grapefruit League play with a rough idea of how they will open the season.

``(But) if it's not working, I'll change it,'' Little said.

Without actually saying so, Little sounded like he was leaning toward using Pierre in the leadoff spot and batting Furcal third -- something that has more to do with Furcal and his .346 average with runners in scoring position than with Pierre and his .330 on-base percentage.

``I talked to Raffy about it the other day in the Dominican Republic,'' said Little, who went there last week with a contingent that included Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. ``He was one of our best hitters with men in scoring pos ition.''

Little said catcher Russell Martin, who handles a bat well, would be a possibility to hit second between Pierre and Furcal. But Little also said Furcal could bat second behind Pierre or vice versa.

Pierre's speed makes him a logical leadoff hitter, but his OBP and the fact he walked just 32 times in 750 plate appearances make him anything but a perfect one. Furcal's .369 OBP makes him a good fit for the leadoff spot. But while he has enough to speed to have stolen 37 bases last season, he isn't nearly as fast as Pierre, who stole 58.

For now, Furcal probably is penciled into the No. 3 spot. But that could change if the Dodgers acquire a power bat, something that is at the top of their wish list at these meetings and beyond. Trade talks with Boston that centered on slugging left fielder Manny Ramirez appear to have broken off because the Red Sox were asking for three of the Dodgers' promising young players in return. Boston wanted reliever Jonathan Broxton and some combination of Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andy LaRoche.

So for now, the Dodgers are looking at several alternatives, among them free-agent left fielder Luis Gonzalez.

``We have to see who else is on our team,'' Little said.

Little said that if Furcal leads off, Pierre won't hit lower than second.

``I don't think you want to go through the first inning without having him come to the plate with the amount of action he can create on the bases,'' Little said.

[e-mail]

[phone]