DODGERS NOTEBOOK: PHILLIPS' FUTURE IS IN DOUBT.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

PHOENIX - Despite the fact that Dodgers backup catcher Paul Bako is missing the final four months of the season after knee surgery, general manager Paul DePodesta said Wednesday he is open to re-signing Bako this winter, a statement that casts further doubt on the future of Jason Phillips.

The Dodgers acquired Phillips from the New York Mets on March 20 to be their everyday catcher, but he lost that job on July 29 when prospect Dioner Navarro was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, primarily because opposing teams were running wild on Phillips.

With prospect Russell Martin still a year away from the big leagues, Navarro is almost certain to be the regular catcher at the start of next season.

``I think they have already made that clear,'' Phillips said before Wednesday's game at Arizona. ``I want to play. I like being a Dodger, but I don't know what's going to happen over the offseason. All I know is I'm in there tonight, and I'm going to try to help the team win.''

Phillips started behind the plate for the second day in a row because Navarro was in Los Angeles with his newborn son, who was hospitalized last week with an illness that isn't believed to be life-threatening. The Dodgers signed Bako to a one-year, $650,000 contract last winter and would like to bring him back as Navarro's backup.

``We have definitely talked about it,'' DePodesta said. ``We think Paul is a very smart, hard-working, experienced veteran catcher. For all the reasons we liked him last offseason, we like him as much or more now.''

Bako is much more suited for, and amenable to, a backup role. Phillips sees himself as an everyday catcher somewhere and will be comparatively cheap as a first-year arbitration-eligible player. That translates into trade value, which means the Dodgers are likely to deal him.

But while DePodesta wouldn't comment directly on that issue, he wouldn't rule out having Phillips, who also can play first base, on his 2006 roster.

--Going back: Dodgers pitching legend Fernando Valenzuela, currently a member of the team's Spanish-language broadcast team, plans to play a second season for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League. Valenzuela, 44, said he plans to report shortly after the Dodgers' season ends on Oct. 2 and probably will pitch more often than last year, when he usually pitched the seven-inning first games of Sunday doubleheaders.

``I had fun last year,'' Valenzuela said. ``That's why I'm still going to play. I know I can do it now, because I know my arm is still good enough.''