Juan Pierre can opt out of his minor league contract with the Phillies if he's not on Philadelphia's big league roster on March 31. It shouldn't be a problem, as most assume Pierre's spot is all but assured. "Obviously, he's not the same player he had been, but he's still a guy that can help us offensively, especially with his speed," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He had a very, very good year last year. He had more hits than anybody on our team." Amaro is clearly exaggerating Pierre's effectiveness last season, as he batted .279/.329/.327 with two homers, 50 RBI and a .657 OPS over 711 plate appearances and also went a career-worst 27-for-44 in stolen base attempts, but he should make for a decent fourth outfielder.