FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – David Ortiz has emerged as one of the AL’s most productive hitters and unofficial spokesman for Manny Ramirez.

The second job may be tougher.

Ortiz dresses next to Ramirez in the Fenway Park clubhouse and is friendly with him, but they’ve spoken to each other just once this offseason.

That’s once more than Boston general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona have talked with Ramirez after leaving several messages, but neither is upset.

The happy-go-lucky slugger will be heard from in his usual spot this season – the No. 4 slot in the Red Sox batting order – despite publicized efforts to unload his $20 million annual salary through waivers and a trade for Alex Rodriguez.

“I had a good relationship with Manny and Manny doesn’t talk much,” Ortiz said Monday. “I don’t know what he’s got on his mind right now. Manny’s a bagful of news and I just hope everything works out the way everybody expects.”

Ortiz worked out for the first time in spring training Monday. Ramirez and all the other position players are expected at Wednesday’s first full-squad workout.

Ortiz is good friends with the player who did get traded for Rodriguez. Alfonso Soriano went to Texas when the New York Yankees got A-Rod last week.

“He was kind of disappointed,” said Ortiz, who saw Soriano in the Dominican Republic this month. “He just has to keep on going. That’s part of the business.”

Boston’s designated hitter is one of seven key Red Sox players who can become free agents after this season. Epstein has said it’s not financially feasible to bring all of them back.

“I always say that 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,” Ortiz said.

He enjoyed playing in Boston last season when he was the biggest surprise in baseball’s most productive lineup. Playing in just 128 games, he had 31 homers with 101 RBIs and led the team with 16 game-winning RBIs, one less than AL leaders Hideki Matsui and Eric Chavez.

He was third in the AL in slugging percentage and fifth in MVP balloting.

But that was only the third season in which he didn’t play in the minors. In 2002 he hit 20 homers and .272 in 125 games with Minnesota.

“Everybody has something to prove every year,” Ortiz said.

He also became a key member of a close team, lighting up the clubhouse with his smile and jokes. New manager Terry Francona said some players could be hurt by the pressure of playing before Boston’s passionate fans.

“He looked like he just jumped into it and enjoyed every minute of it,” Francona said. “He became a better player, a real clutch player.”

Ortiz made $1.25 million last year and avoided arbitration this year by agreeing to a $4,587,500 contract. He asked for $5 million and the team offered $4.2 million.

“Boston is a great place to be,” Ortiz said, “but tomorrow you don’t know where you’re going to be.”

First base would be a good spot to start.

The lefthanded hitting Ortiz would like to play more there than the 45 games he spent there last season. Righty Kevin Millar is expected to get most of the time at that position and Boston added righthanded DH Ellis Burks in the offseason.

“I’m just 28 years old,” Ortiz said. “I don’t want to be a full-time DH. I want to have fun in the field.”

Francona said it’s too early to say how playing time at first base would be divided.

Millar is one of Boston’s few players who spoke to Ramirez after last season.

“He was eating dinner. It was a quick say hello,” said Millar, who phoned Ramirez from Los Angeles. “He was excited.”

Ortiz doesn’t think Ramirez will be affected by Boston’s efforts to send him elsewhere.

“He called me one time. He told me, ‘Hey, I had nine toes in Texas and one in Boston. What’s up with that?”‘ Ortiz said. “All his toes are still in Boston so right now he’s a pro, and I know he’s going to come back ready to play.”

AP-ES-02-23-04 1755EST