The Numbers
	2002 record: 66-96, .407 (26th overall) Runs scored: 662, 14th in NL Runs allowed: 815, 14th in NL Run differential: -153 (26th overall) Starters' ERA: 4.82, 14th in NL Bullpen ERA: 4.24, 13th in NL Payroll (Opening Day): $41.4 million (26th overall) Attendance: 2.22 million (17th overall) 3-year record: 222-264, .457 (21st overall)

2002 in review
What went right?
The offensive core played at a high level, and a group of promising young pitchers offered hope for the near future. The dependable Ryan Klesko continued his 2001 All-Star form with another solid season, leading the Padres in nearly every offensive category. He batted .300 with 29 home runs, 90 runs scored and 95 RBI. Klesko, whom the Braves used to sit vs. left-handers, also raised his batting average against southpaws 31 points, from .256 in 2001 to .287 in 2002. Center fielder Mark Kotsay led the team with 169 hits and 11 stolen bases. He batted .292 and slugged a career high 17 homers. Phil Nevin missed almost seven weeks due to arm injuries, but batted .285 with 57 RBI in 107 games. On the mound, Brian Lawrence stepped up as San Diego's ace, winning a team-high 12 games. Young guns Jake Peavy, 21, and Oliver Perez, 21, displayed big-time stuff. Longtime Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, the team's lone All-Star, saved 38 games in 41 opportunities.

What went wrong?
Outfielder Mike Darr's tragic death in a car accident the night before spring training set a pall over camp. Then when the season started, just about every player got hurt. Manager Bruce Bochy used a major league-record tying 59 players, including 37 pitchers. Of those 37 pitchers, 13 made their major league debuts. The middle relievers couldn't get anyone out when it counted, blowing 29 leads, second worst in the NL. That pretty much explains why San Diego won only 66 games, 14 fewer than in 2001. Nevin's two trips to the DL in May were a major blow to the offense. Rookie third baseman Sean Burroughs struggled out of the gate (.221 BA) and was demoted to Triple A in July. Bubba Trammell chipped in with 17 homers and 56 RBI, but batted just .213 against right-handers. By the time Nevin returned after the All-Star break, the Padres were below .500 and out of the NL West race.

In retrospect, the critical decisions were:
1. 1. Trading for Ramon Vazquez and Brett Tomko. Both came over from the Mariners for catcher Ben Davis before last season. Tabbed as the Padres' shortstop of the future, Vazquez lost his starting job to Deivi Cruz in spring training. He did prove valuable, though, filling in at three infield positions before taking over second base when D'Angelo Jimenez was traded to the White Sox. In 2003, Vazquez, who hit .274 in 128 games last year, is slated to be the Opening Day shortstop. Tomko, traded to St. Louis in December, threw 200-plus innings for an injury-riddled staff. He started a team-high 32 games and was second in wins with 10.

	Jake Peavy Starting pitcher San Diego Padres Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM IP W-L BB SO ERA 17 97.2 6-7 33 90 4.52

2. Calling up Peavy and Perez. The Padres were in such dire straits that they summoned Peavy and Perez from Double A in June. The lefty Perez, baseball's youngest player in '02, went a mediocre 4-5 in 15 starts, and Peavy was 6-7 in 17 starts. But both showed top-of-the-rotation potential by holding the Yankees to two earned runs in back-to-back interleague outings in June. Did we mention it was Peavy's first major league start?

3. Signing Kevin Jarvis, Trammell and Wiki Gonzalez. In the past year and a half the Padres have given right-hander Jarvis, outfielder Trammell and catcher Gonzalez almost $23 million in multi-year deals. After a 12-11 season in 2001, Jarvis signed a new contract and spent most of 2002 on the disabled list. Gonzalez reported out of shape and played in just 56 games due to injuries. The Padres hope to replace him behind the plate with Mike Rivera, acquired from Detroit for outfielder Gene Kingsale. Trammell cashed in after his .261-25-92 breakout in 2001, but his numbers dropped to .243-17-56. Jarvis and Trammell are signed through 2004, Gonzalez through 2005.

Looking ahead to 2003
Three key questions
1. Can Sean Burroughs succeed as the everyday third baseman? After a failed attempt to take hold of the hot corner last year (partly due to a nagging shoulder injury), the Padres' top prospect gets another shot. The team has abandoned the idea of playing him at second base, so Nevin, whom the Padres tried to trade for Ken Griffey Jr. this winter, figures to move back to the outfield. It'll work if the left-handed-hitting Burroughs gives San Diego an offensive threat to support the Klesko-Nevin-Kotsay triumvirate. In 63 games last year, Burroughs batted .271 with one home run and 11 RBI.

2. Is Hoffman healthy? The 35-year-old right-hander underwent offseason surgery to clean out his right shoulder. He doesn't know when he'll begin throwing, and he might not be ready for Opening Day. If not, newly signed setup man Jay Witasick is the leading candidate to step in as the closer. Other possibilities are deposed Indians ace Jaret Wright and Brandon Villafuerte, who had a stellar 1.41 ERA last year but has only one career save. Obviously, a healthy Hoffman, who has 352 career saves, is a must.

3. Besides Lawrence, who else is in the rotation? Adam Eaton, who came back from Tommy John surgery late last season to start six games, should be much stronger this year. Peavy and Perez will experience growing pains, but they're talented enough to stay in the rotation for the full season. Journeyman Francisco Cordova could help, and 2001 victories leader Jarvis is back from elbow injury. If the youngsters develop quickly, the Pads should be in good shape. Otherwise, it'll be another long season.

Can expect to play better
Eaton. In each of his final three starts, Eaton threw seven solid innings, with a combined 18 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA. Those outings should give the 25-year-old right-hander confidence heading into spring training. Eaton had his ligament replacement surgery in August 2001, and it often takes pitchers two years to get back to normal.

Stats Corner
Ryan Klesko (above) batted a team-high .300 and also led the Padres in home runs (29) and RBI (95) in 2002. Trevor Hoffman had 38 saves, his lowest total since 1997 when he finished with 37. Mark Kotsay topped the club with 169 hits, which was also a career high for him. Brett Tomko (32 starts) and Brian Lawrence (31 starts) were the only two Padres starters to have more than 20 starts the entire season.

Can expect to play worse
Villafuerte came out of nowhere to claim the set-up job last season, providing eight holds, a save and a 1.41 ERA in 32 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander has bounced around five organizations since being drafted in the 66th round by the Mets in 1994. He had logged just 10 major league innings before last season, a career year.

Projected lineup
SS Ramon Vazquez
CF Mark Kotsay
1B Ryan Klesko
LF Phil Nevin
RF Bubba Trammell
3B Sean Burroughs
2B Mark Loretta
C Wiki Gonzalez/Mike Rivera

Rotation
Brian Lawrence
Adam Eaton
Jake Peavy
Oliver Perez
Francisco Cordova/Kevin Jarvis

Closer
Trevor Hoffman

A closer look
Phil Nevin's not happy. First, the Padres tried to deal him to Cincinnati, but he blocked the move with his no-trade clause. Now the team wants to move him from third base to the outfield, where he hasn't played regularly since 1997. For the second straight year, GM Kevin Towers and manager Bruce Bochy want to give the third-base job to hot-shot prospect Sean Burroughs. Last year Nevin moved to first base until Burroughs got hurt and then demoted to Triple-A.

This season, Nevin doesn't want to move. "We're a better team with me (at third)," he says.

Counters Towers: "If we're going to put our best ballclub out on the field, (Nevin) won't be at third base."

So, who's right?

Since joining the Padres in 1999, Nevin, 32, has played first base, catcher, left field and right field, but mostly he's played third base. Among NL third basemen, only L.A.'s Adrian Beltre has made more errors (88) the last four years than Nevin's 70. Last season, Nevin's .928 fielding percentage was the worst among third basemen who played at least 40 games.

No doubt he's in the lineup for his bat. Nevin, the No. 1 pick in the 1992 draft, bounced around the majors before finally finding his stroke as a Padre. He's hit 108 home runs and driven in 375 runs the last four seasons, despite missing more than 80 games with injuries. Meanwhile, the 2002 Padres outfield of Mark Kotsay, Bubba Trammell and the left field combination of Ron Gant and Ray Lankford combined for only 58 homers and 202 RBI, production which ranked among the NL's worst. Adding Nevin to the outfield mix would boost those numbers considerably.

The Padres still expect the 22-year-old Burroughs, the team's No. 1 pick (ninth overall) in 1998, to be a line-drive machine -- and he's a better defensive third baseman than Nevin. Burroughs was named the organization's top prospect three times and was the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year in 2001, batting .322 with nine home runs and 55 RBI. He was overhyped as a Rookie of the Year candidate last year. After a shoulder injury landed him on the DL in May, he was sent down to the minors in July with a .221 batting average. Recalled in September, Burroughs hit .377 in 61 at-bats.

The Padres tried to solve their third base problem this offseason by dealing Nevin, who's signed through 2006, for Griffey. Nevin, a Fullerton, Calif., native, nixed the trade in order to stay close to his family. It's not going to be as easy for him to veto the move to the outfield.

Jonathan Wank covers baseball for ESPN The Magazine.