SAN DIEGO PADRES--John Wagner

To the rest of the baseball world, the San Diego Padres seem to be stuck in the past. It's the only explanation for resigning Tony Gwynn. Yes, he's easily the most recognizable name in franchise history, and he certainly is one of the best pure hitters the game has ever known. But Gwynn also will turn 41 in May, and last season knee problems limited him to just 36 games. At this point in his career he's not a franchise player, just a spare part.

And what about lefty Sterling Hitchcock, who was brilliant in the post-season in 1998? Last year he made just 11 starts thanks to major elbow problems, yet he is expected to return early this season and be a force in the starting rotation.

Think that's bleak? Those two tidbits are nothing compared to the problems the team is having with its new stadium. Construction on the ballpark halted last October, and the delay has pushed back the opening of the stadium to 2003 - at the earliest.

But the result of that construction delay was felt this year, too: the Padres were forced to scale back salaries from $51 to $37 million for the coming season, a whopping $30 million less than the next-lowest total in the free-spending National League West.

That salary disparity is the reason the Padres may be stuck in the future, not the past. A glance at the San Diego roster for the coming season reveals a virtual who's 'who of highly touted prospects, past and present. The bad news is that many of those top prospects haven't reached their potential yet, and the worse news is that some probably never will.

One that did is Phil Nevin, who finally has displayed all the promise that Houston saw when it made him the first pick in the 1992 draft. Last year Nevin hit .303 with 31 homers and 107 RBI, proving that his breakthrough season in 1999 was no fluke. Before 1999 Nevin had never hit more than nine homers or driven in more than 35. Nevin is the Padres' most dangerous hitter and teams with Ryan Klesko, another hitter who has lived up to his minor-league press clippings. The bullpen is anchored by Trevor Hoffman, who saved 43 of San Diego's 76 wins a year ago.

Much of the rest of the Padres' roster is filled with players whose performance hasn't matched their press clippings. The list of question marks includes:

Pitcher Matt Clement, whose 125 walks in 205 IP prove he still has some work to do to reach his potential.

Catcher Ben Davis, the second pick in the 1995 draft who needs to prove he can hit major-league pitching.

Pitcher Adam Eaton, a young pitcher whom the Padres stole from Philadelphia. He started quickly last season but then ran out of gas at the end of the year.

Outfielder Ruben Rivera, a five-tool athlete who should be a star but who instead has struggled to stay above the Mendoza line.

Outfielder Bubba Trammell, now on his fourth team at age 29. Worse, he's still looking for full-time work for the first time in his career.

You get the idea. To expect one or two of these players to finally break through and have the same type of success Nevin realized might be possible; to expect all five to have big seasons is, well, living in a fantasy world.

These youngsters will get plenty of chances this season. So will such retreads as pitcher Scott Karl and infielder Ed Sprague.

Those chances even may extend to some of the Padres' top future prospects. Sean Burroughs may take over for Nevin if the latter is traded. Xavier Nady's live bat may give him a shot at the majors despite not having played a game in the minors. And pitching prospects such as Wascar Serrano and Junior Herndon may take the mound in San Diego very soon.

If only the Padres could just skip ahead to 2003 without having to play this season - or the next ...