Projected batting order Ramon Vasquez, SS Sean Burroughs, 3B Mark Kotsay, CF Ryan Klesko, 1B Rondell White, LF Xavier Nady, RF Mark Loretta, 2B Gary Bennett/Wiki Gonzalez, C Rotation Brian Lawrence, RHP Oliver Perez, LHP Adam Eaton, RHP Jake Peavy, RHP Bench Brian Buchanan, OF Dave Hansen, 1B Keith Lockhart, 2B-3B Bullpen Brandon Villafuerte, RHP (CL) Francisco Cordova, RHP Jesse Orosco, LHP Jay Witasick RHP Complete Padres roster  ESPN's Take Q: What would you do if you were the manager of the Padres? This is the final year of Qualcomm Stadium, and this isn't the situation management wanted to be in with no Phil Nevin and no Trevor Hoffmann. They can either go with a young guy or try and sign someone more experienced. If I was the manager, I'd play the young guys and see what they have in their tank. They did this last year to a certain extent with their pitchers and were pleasantly surprised, they took their lumps, but they did a good job, especially Brian Lawrence. With the exception of Mark Kotsay and Ryan Klesko, there really isn't much for the Padres to look to anyway so they might as well play the youngsters. -- Tony Gwynn The Padres used Mark Kotsay to lead off last season, but they think he's going to hit for more power this year; thus he's batting third. What this should mean is Kotsay's home run and RBI output will go up, which means you should draft him earlier. With Trevor Hoffman out, and replacement Jay Witasick not healthy, Brandon Villafuerte can make a name for himself as the closer. Last year Villafuerte emerged from the pack, with an impressive 1.41 ERA and only five walks in 32 innings. Don't draft Villafuerte among the top 20 closers, but consider him after that. -- Eric Karabell Mike Bynum, LHP Has bounced on and off prospect lists, but is back on again. Still has the killer slider, and regained some zip on his fastball last year. Can start or relieve, could do well in either role if his control holds up.

Manager: Bruce Bochy  Home: Qualcomm Stadium (66,307)  '02 record: 66-96  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Wiki Gonzalez/Gary Bennett Slated to play everyday in '02, Gonzalez disappointed mightily by reporting to spring camp out of condition and then managing only 36 hits in 164 ABs due to injuries. This winter, the Padres acquired Bennett from the Rockies, a light-hitting but seasoned pro who last year handled both youngsters like NL Rookie of the Year Jason Jennings and veterans like Mike Hampton, while Gonzalez worked with Bruce Bochy to improve his defensive technique. Twelve pounds lighter when he reported this spring, Gonzalez should get most of the work, but Bennett's presence will keep Wiki honest. First Base: Ryan Klesko Klesko got career-high 162 hits in '02 and won the team triple crown (.300/29/95). The best news, though, is his continued improvement against left-handers. As recently as 1999, he hit a paltry .102 against southpaws; last year he was up to .287. Second Base: Mark Loretta Loretta put up some big numbers for Milwaukee in 1998-99, but then tailed off until getting traded to Houston last September, during which he hit .424 with four doubles and two home runs. Against right-handers, Loretta hit a much-improved .302 for the year (.309 vs. southpaws), but his OBP was still significantly better against lefties (.421 vs. .359). Third Base: Sean Burroughs The Padres have reason to believe Burroughs will be a valuable addition to their lineup, but asking Phil Nevin to move to the OF to give him another chance at third has proved costly. No doubt Burroughs is the superior third baseman, though playing there may put a strain on his throwing shoulder, which underwent rotator-cuff surgery in the offseason. Shortstop: Ramon Vazquez A solid though not spectacular fielder, Vazquez picked it up in the second half of 2002, hitting .291 with 17 doubles after the All-Star break. Against right-handers he collected 105 hits on the year in 353 ABs, scoring 42 runs. He will bat in the leadoff spot when a righty is starting. Left Field: Rondell White White joined the Yankees in '02 with high hopes, but he suffered a rib-cage injury early, ruptured a tendon in his left middle finger in June, and finished with a .240 batting average after four straight years over .300. White has been prone to injury, and he doesn't have a great arm, but he does have good speed and can cover a lot of ground in left. Center Field: Mark Kotsay Kotsay established career highs in HRs (17) hits (169, which led all Padres), slugging (.452) and OPS (.811). A good all-around and somewhat underrated athlete with above-average range in the field and a strong, accurate arm, Kotsay led the league in assists by a center fielder with 11 last year. Right Field: Xavier Nady In 2001, his first full pro season, Nady was the Class-A Cal League MVP (.302/26/100), but then required Tommy John surgery. He was not quite as impressive last year, with 23 HRs and 80 RBIs in Class-A and Triple-A combined. He hit .323 in eight games in the Arizona Fall League, and now will be rushed into service to supply the right-handed power that Phil Nevin was slated to provide before his season-ending injury. No. 1 Starter: Brian Lawrence The only returning Padre with more than 20 starts in 2002 (31), Lawrence led the '02 team in victories (12), IPs (210), and strikeouts (149). His ERA, among the top 25 in the NL at 3.69, climbed steadily from July to September while his IPs declined, but his new four-year contract is a strong vote of confidence from the club. No. 2 Starter: Oliver Perez The youngest major leaguer in 2002, Perez began in June with wins over the Mariners and the Yankees, giving up three ERs in 11.2 IPs. In July he allowed one hit in 6.2 IPs while striking out 13 Rockies in Colorado and then shut out Arizona over seven. In September he again won at Coors with a seven-inning two-hitter, earned a five-inning, three-hit victory over SF, and then finished the year with a 7.1-inning whitewash of LA. No. 3 Starter: Adam Eaton Eaton returned from Tommy John surgery in September to start six games and finished at 1-1 with an ERA of 5.40, but he went seven innings in each of his final three starts, recording 18 strikeouts and chalking up an 1.71 ERA. No. 4 Starter: Jake Peavy Last June, in his first major-league start, Peavy held the Yankees to one earned run and three hits over six innings. His ERA at year's end was not impressive at 4.52, but he gave up two or fewer runs in 10 of his 17 starts and just three in two others. Bullpen: Jay Witasik, Jesse Orosco, Francisco Cordova Witasik was a solid contributor to the Giants' success in '02, with a 2.37 ERA in 44 appearances, mostly in long relief. At 45, Orosco appeared in 56 games as a left-handed specialist for the Dodgers and put up a 3.00 ERA. At 46, he'll do the same for the Padres. Cordova pitched the first nine innings of a 10-innining no-hitter for the Pirates in 1997. Closer: Brandon Villafuerte Villafuerte began last season at Triple-A Portland and went 8-4 with a 2.02 ERA in 47 games. Called up to the Padres in July, he compiled a 1.41 ERA in 32 IPs. He begins this season spelling one of the game's elite closers, Trevor Hoffman, who's out until midseason. Says Hoffman, "His stuff is there. He throws hard. And he's fearless enough to go out there and attack people. The numbers don't lie."

-- Dave Sutter, ESPN The Magazine

Record: 66-96 | Finish: 5th in NL West | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (NL rank) Defense (NL rank) 622 runs (14th) Home: 334 runs (11th) Road: 328 (12th) 815 runs allowed (14th) Home: 338 (6th) Road: 477 (16th) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Ryan Klesko, .300 Runs: Klesko, 90 On-base pct: Klesko, .388 Stolen bases: Mark Kotsay, 11 Wins: Brian Lawrence, 12 Saves: Trevor Hoffman, 38 Home runs: Klesko, 29 RBI: Klesko, 95 Slugging pct.: Klesko, .537 OPS: Klesko, .925 ERA: Lawrence, 3.69 Strikeouts: Lawrence, 149