SAN DIEGO -- When the Padres moved into plush new Petco Park with its attendant streams of revenue, many fans envisioned their team boldly diving into the free-agent waters and competing for the biggest fish in the sea.

When the Padres fielded a squad that proved less than ideally suited for the ballpark, some fans pictured a radical reconstruction of the roster in the offseason.

Those fans shouldn't hold their breath.

"If you ask me today," general manager Kevin Towers said, "the club is probably not going to look a whole lot different next year than it did this year."

It's not that Towers isn't aware of the flaws of his team, which finished with the fifth-best record in franchise history, 87-75, but also finished third in the National League West, six games behind division champion Los Angeles. Rather, it's that his hands are tied by a 2005 payroll that has already committed more than $56 million to 12 players out of a 25-man roster. Included in that total is $3.425 million owed to infielder Jeff Cirillo, who was released in August.

The Padres concluded the season with a budget of about $66 million, and Towers doesn't expect that figure to rise significantly next year, if at all. Such fiscal restrictions will severely hamper his ability to swing a major deal when he goes to the GM meetings in November, as will the fact the players with the bulkiest salaries -- left fielder Ryan Klesko ($10 million in 2005) and first baseman Phil Nevin ($9 million) -- have no-trade clauses written into their contracts.

Nevin's veto power, it should be noted, becomes limited to nine potential trade partners this offseason.

The Padres came to learn during their debut campaign in Petco that the ballpark favors good pitching (which the Padres have), right-handed sluggers (which they have only in Nevin, who overcame a rocky start to hit 26 homers and drive in 105 runs) and speed (which they have precious little of). Among Klesko, Brian Giles, Jay Payton and Terrence Long, the Padres possess a glut of outfielders who don't necessarily fit the Petco mold.

But all four have guaranteed 2005 salaries of at least $4 million, and the two most likely to be shopped -- Payton and Long -- have limited trade value.

That could make it harder for the Padres to find room for talented outfield prospects Xavier Nady and Freddy Guzman, the former a right-handed power hitter and the latter a speed demon.

If the Padres' outfield situation is cluttered, the rest of the diamond appears fairly well set. The middle-infield combination of second baseman Mark Loretta and shortstop Khalil Greene ranks among the best in baseball, both offensively and defensively.

Nevin didn't endear himself to the organization with two high-profile temper eruptions and intermittent complaints about the size of the ballpark, but he is still valued for his leadership and production. Third baseman Sean Burroughs might not be as untouchable as he once was after managing only two home runs in 523 at-bats, but the Padres will not easily part with a 24-year-old who could develop into a perennial .300 hitter.

Behind the plate, Ramon Hernandez made a fine impression in his first season, hitting the most home runs (18) by a Padres catcher since Benito Santiago in 1987 and wowing the team's pitchers with his game management.

Towers' winter priorities, then, are few. He wants to re-sign 41-year-old left-hander David Wells. He wants to bolster a bullpen that featured an outstanding back end in closer Trevor Hoffman and setup men Akinori Otsuka and Scott Linebrink, but often ineffective middle relief. And he wants to beef up a bench that offered Long's solid pinch hitting and not much else.

"We had guys who probably didn't have their best year offensively," Towers said. "If they'd just improve on their numbers, we could win the division even with the same team."

That's a risky supposition, one the Padres could have little choice but to make.

Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.