New role for Garciaparra?

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Because of experience, Manager Joe Torre theorized, Nomar Garciaparra probably would be a better pinch-hitter than his younger teammates.

But based on the few words Garciaparra said on the subject Thursday, it appears that because of that experience -- 11-plus major league seasons and a lifetime as an everyday player -- he would have more trouble accepting the transition than one of the up-and-comers in the Dodgers’ camp.

“I’ve never liked it,” Garciaparra said of the idea of not playing every day. “I don’t even think about it. I’m not even worried about it.”

This spring is unlike any previous one for Garciaparra, who has Andy LaRoche pushing him for the starting position at third base and Torre saying that as a utility infielder he could “give me flexibility with his versatility.” LaRoche has been grouped with starting infielders James Loney, Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal in workouts.

Garciaparra, who batted .283 with seven home runs and 53 runs batted in last season, moved from first to third in late June to make room for Loney. The left calf that bothered him over the last month and a half of the season is healed, he said, and he started working out earlier than usual.

Torre said he understood that a move to the bench could be a sensitive issue.

“The whole thing about [becoming a bench player] is resolving it with yourself,” Torre said. “It’s trying to make sense of the whole thing.”

Torre said if he opts to go with LaRoche at third, it would be important for him to explain his thinking to Garciaparra.

“I’d never want to just write something down and post it and have people wonder what they’re doing, not that I’m going to go to 25 guys and say, ‘This is your role, ‘This is your role,’ ‘This is your role,’ ” Torre said.

“But I think that in certain areas when guys are used to doing certain things, you do sit down and talk to them and give them an idea of what you’re thinking.”

However much he might prefer to start, Garciaparra has been “understanding of the situation,” Torre said.

And Torre made it sound as if the job at third was Garciaparra’s to lose, not LaRoche’s.

“Nomar’s experience certainly plays into this stuff,” Torre said. “Nomar, with his experience, we have to see how he best helps our club and go from there.”

If that’s off the bench, Torre said, his tendencies at the plate could make him particularly effective.

“The one thing about coming off the bench, you have to be ready from pitch one,” Torre said. “And Nomar, and I’m not saying this is going to be his role, he certainly doesn’t have a problem swinging at pitch one. A lot of times he comes up to pinch-hit, it’ll be bases loaded, it’ll be an RBI situation. He certainly knows how to hit in those situations.”

Torre and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt set the Dodgers’ rotation to start the spring, lining up Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda in that order.

Penny, Chan Ho Park and Hong-Chih Kuo will pitch in the Dodgers’ intrasquad game Feb. 26, and Lowe and Eric Stults will pitch simulated games the next day.

Billingsley and Jason Johnson will pitch in the exhibition opener against the Atlanta Braves on Feb. 28. Kuroda will start his first game with the Dodgers on Feb. 29, also against the Braves. Esteban Loaiza is set to pitch in that game as well.

The Dodgers are believed to be the leading contender to host the finals of the World Baseball Classic next year.

“I can confirm we’re a finalist,” Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said. “We’re very hopeful that we will be selected.”

The San Diego Padres hosted the finals of the inaugural WBC in 2006, with the Angels hosting second-round games. The Angels will not be involved in the 2009 event, spokesman Tim Mead said.

“We’re going to pass this time,” Mead said. “We look forward to participating -- hopefully in 2013, or down the road.”

The Angels are expected to host the 2010 All-Star game.

The Padres, Houston Astros and Florida Marlins are among other teams under consideration to host WBC games, a baseball official said. The first-round sites all are expected to be outside the United States, with second-round and final-round games at major league stadiums.

The Dodgers did not bid on the WBC in 2006 because major off-season renovations would not have been completed in time for the March event.

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Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com