BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Butler Has Own Thoughts on Successor

It long has been thought that Raul Mondesi will take Brett Butler’s job in center field someday. But Butler, who isn’t ready to retire, says the Dodgers have another option in Roger Cedeno, who plays center field at the Dodgers’ triple-A club in Albuquerque.

“Cedeno is supposed to be hot, he hasn’t played too long, but he’s a tall kid and has it all,” said Butler, who turns 37 today.

Cedeno, who will turn 20 in August, is a gap hitter with speed and an above-average outfielder.

“(Former Dodger scout) Phil Regan called me a couple winters ago and told me that he needed an outfielder to get him through 7-10 days of winter ball in Caracas because his veterans weren’t there yet,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president. “So I told him we had this 18-year-old in the Arizona Instructional League I could send him for a stopgap. And he never left.”

The Dodgers are not lacking for talent in their outfield. Along with the 6-foot-1 Cedeno, they have two power hitters in right fielder Todd Hollandsworth, 21 and left fielder Billy Ashley, 23, both playing at Albuquerque.

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Darren Dreifort said he and pitching coach Ron Perranoski have worked the last three days on his mechanics, starting from scratch. “They don’t have it in mind for me to pitch (while he is breaking down his delivery), but I am available if they need me,” Dreifort said. “We had time in spring training to work on things, but when you are in the bullpen there’s no time. Starters have four days in between starts to iron things out.”. . . Butler, on how he feels about the proposal baseball owners presented to the player’s union Tuesday: “It isn’t worth talking about.”. . . Delino DeShields (cut finger) and Jeff Treadway (sprained wrist) are hitting, fielding and throwing. Their return to play depends on how quickly they become comfortable again but probably will happen by the end of the home stand.