BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Strawberry Plans to Skip Met Trip

Darryl Strawberry, who earlier said he said “didn’t care,” what his former New York Met teammates felt about his new autobiography, has decided he can wait to find out, too.

Strawberry said Friday he will not be making the trip today to Port St. Lucie, where the Dodgers are scheduled to play the New York Mets in the first exhibition between the teams.

Last year, he also said he would not make the trip, but then changed his mind at the last minute, and ended up hitting a home run in his first game against his former teammates.

“This time I just can’t be bothered with all that hype, with the New York press, with all that stuff that is waiting for me down there,” Strawberry said. “I’m with the Dodgers now, and I don’t need to keep getting involved in that Mets stuff.”

Juan Samuel, who last week professed his unhappiness but said he would not ask for a trade, told the Associated Press Friday that he would like to be traded.

“I think the best thing for me is if they could work some kind of a deal for something they need,” Samuel said.

Samuel was unavailable for further comment late Friday, but the Dodgers said that Samuel has not requested a trade.

The Dodgers lost their second consecutive exhibition, 6-4, to the Cincinnati Reds at Dodgertown.

Orel Hershiser gave up home runs by Barry Larkin and Paul O’Neill in three innings, giving up three total runs and five hits in his first spring game in two seasons. Pedro Martinez, in his debut against big-league hitters, gave up one earned run and four hits in two innings.