SAN DIEGO -- When recently informed that opposing players believe the Padres are rebuilding, Adrian Gonzalez said he likes the direction the organization is headed.

He is pleased that the Padres didn't play it safe in this month's amateur draft, spending several high selections on prep players with potential rather than proven-but-ultimately-less-talented collegiate options.

Gonzalez isn't oblivious to the Padres' reduction in payroll by nearly $30 million from last season. Nor is he overlooking the team's interest in trading ace Jake Peavy. With a mind-set geared toward the long haul, however, Gonzalez -- who is signed through 2010 with a $5.5 million team option for 2011 -- said he likes the plan currently in place. He also understands the Padres must build from within to maintain a competitive franchise. Those words have to be as pleasing to Jeff Moorad's new ownership group as the CEO's statement earlier this season was to Gonzalez, when Moorad suggested the team should lock him up to a long-term deal as soon as possible.

Gonzalez, a Gold Glove winner, and the Padres know each side is trying to feel the situation out. Both are constantly evaluating the team. Ultimately, it's going to come down to Gonzalez's satisfaction with the organization's direction when the two sides decide to sit down to negotiate a new deal.

For now, Gonzalez is keeping his focus on the field. When asked how much attention is geared toward a possible extension, Gonzalez said: "None."

"It's not for me to look into," said Gonzalez, who has a team-high 23 home runs. "Until they call and say, 'Hey, let's talk extension,' I'm not going to think about it because it's not something that's on my mind."

Though flattered by Moorad's words, Gonzalez's agent, John Boggs, said no Padres representative has approached him about an extension, nor would he have expected it at this point. With a salary of $3 million this season and $4 million in 2010, Gonzalez is a bargain for the Padres.

With an uncertain payroll for the 2010 season, and Peavy's salary eating up $15 million of that figure, the Padres are fortunate to have breathing room before making a decision on Gonzalez, who is set for a monster raise based on the salaries of other top first basemen. The only thing general manager Kevin Towers has determined is that he won't be listening to trade offers for Gonzalez before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.

"It's not something we're going to discuss," Towers said. "In the offseason, we've got a chance to kind of re-evaluate where our club's at, where our prospects are at, what we project our payroll to be. And then we'll sit down and decide 'Do we approach him and try to extend him?' Or if we don't feel like we can extend him, then maybe we entertain moving him. But those aren't discussions we plan on having during the season."

That is fine with Boggs and Gonzalez. Before the 2007 season, the two sides agreed to Gonzalez's current deal, which will pay him a total of $15 million if the Padres pick up his 2011 option. Boggs said a big factor in his client's decision to sign for five years, while knowing the deal would likely be a bargain by 2011, was it afforded Gonzalez the opportunity to focus on baseball.

In 2008, Gonzalez blasted a team-high 36 home runs on his way to winning the team's most valuable player award. The Chula Vista-raised slugger has also continued to hone his top-flight defensive skills. And, slowly but surely, Gonzalez is becoming the franchise's most recognizable face in the community. As Boggs sees it, Gonzalez, who will be 29 when his current deal expires, is a dynamic force on all fronts.

"He's a slow, steady guy who (has) continually improved," Boggs said. "And when you look at the defense, you have a complete player. The trifecta is the community side and what he brings to the organization. There are a lot of variables, but that's a pretty valuable asset. What the Padres do with that, that's the giant elephant in the room. … Eventually you know (talks are) going to happen, but until that actually comes, you can't start talking intelligently about it."

What kind of money Gonzalez would earn on the open market is unknown. However, the figure almost certainly provides Boggs with pleasant dreams and Towers horrifying nightmares. The New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira will earn $42.5 million over the next two seasons. Philadelphia's Ryan Howard will pull in $39 million over the same time frame. And St. Louis' Albert Pujols will make $32 million.

Edgar Gonzalez said his brother is comfortable at home and appreciates getting an opportunity from the Padres.

"I think it just happened that he got here at a young age and started coming into his own," Edgar Gonzalez said. "They gave him playing time and he took advantage. It started working out."

Boggs and Towers agree. But all believe the driving force in Adrian Gonzalez's final decision will be winning and whether it can be accomplished in San Diego.

"Ultimately, what drives players is winning," Towers said. "I imagine with Adrian, he's probably, with new ownership now, watching some of the young players coming up and evaluating if this is the type of club that has the chance to win or is it not. … I think he understands we'll probably never be major players in the free agent market, so he knows the only way to get better is if some of these young players we've been touting are the real deal. And if he sees they are the real deal, he says 'Hey, I want to be part of this.' "