Torre says L.A. is good and ready

With opening day Monday, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said his team is ready for the season but paying little attention to some predictions that the club is favored to repeat as National League West champions.

“Press notices or advance notices, whatever you want to call it, you can’t get caught up in it, whether they predict doom or success for you,” he said before Thursday night’s game with the Angels. “You still have to do it out there.”

Regardless, “I’m really happy with our starting eight,” said Torre, entering his second year as the Dodgers’ manager.

“I feel pretty good about the spring we had” and the players “feel pretty good about themselves and they seem to be having a good time,” he said.

They’re also champing at the bit, he said.

“Spring was a little longer than past springs because of the [World] Baseball Classic, so we had an extra week or so,” Torre said. “Guys get bored, and it just gets to the point where they’re ready to go and the only thing that can happen is to get screwed up.”

Manny’s nest

Manny Ramirez can opt to play elsewhere after this season under his new two-year, $45-million contract with the Dodgers, but for now at least he’s looking to stay put in the Los Angeles area.

“I’m probably looking for a house in Glendale,” said Ramirez, who currently has an apartment in Pasadena.

The slugger said he looked at one house in Hollywood but decided it was too small. He also likes the Glendale area because of its proximity just north of Dodger Stadium -- “maybe 20 minutes, 15 minutes at the most” -- and because teammates Rafael Furcal and Guillermo Mota live nearby, he said.

“I’m going to find a place to stay,” said Ramirez, whose image is splashed across freeway billboards under two words, “He’s back.”

Torre said he was looking forward to Ramirez’s return to Dodger Stadium.

“All winter long that was the question wherever I went, whether it was a restaurant, a food market or whatever it was, it was all about Manny,” Torre said.

“I was just happy that we were able to get him back and he’s happy to be here, so hopefully he has a good year. The fans love him.”

Short hops

Torre again all but named rookie James McDonald as the team’s fifth starting pitcher but said, “We’re going to hold off on that, not for any other reason than just let’s get through spring training first and then go from there.” The fifth starter is scheduled to pitch next Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. . . . Asked if the Dodgers planned to make any last-minute acquisitions before opening day, Torre said it was “remote” and that included veteran Gary Sheffield, released this week by the Detroit Tigers. “Offense is not a problem at this point in time, plus we don’t have a designated hitter, so I’d have to say no,” Torre said of Sheffield, who is one home run short of 500. . . . Heading into Thursday’s game, infielder Juan Castro led the Dodgers with 22 hits and a .415 batting average in 31 spring training games. . . . Chad Billingsley is scheduled to start tonight in the first of two games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

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james.peltz@latimes.com