San Diego went from 89 wins in 2007 and a play-in game loss from making the National League playoffs for a third consecutive season to 63 wins this season -- the 26-win drop being the worst downturn in the franchise's 40-season history.

And little was as good as it was in 2007, the main exception being first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who had 36 homers and 119 RBIs with scant protection behind him.

Elsewhere, collapse. And the season apparently ended with a rift between the front office and the field personnel over philosophy.

Jake Peavy went from winning the Cy Young Award in 2007 to scrambling in his last start to become the only San Diego starter to reach 10 wins. The other half of the Padres' 1-2 pitching punch, Chris Young, spent almost half the season on the disabled list, although he did recover from being hit in the face by an Albert Pujols liner in May.

Offensively, the Padres were last in the National League in runs scored (3.9 per game), on-base percentage (.317) and steals (an incredibly woeful total of 36). Oh yes, did we mention the Padres were slow in addition to having troubles even reaching base?

And the Padres went from leading the National League in ERA in 2007 (both their starters and relievers also led the league) to ranking ninth in team ERA this season with a bullpen that was third from the bottom.

The 2008 season became a testing ground for some of the Padres' young players. And while there were some pleasant surprises (center fielder Will Venable, catcher Nick Hundley, right-handed starter Josh Geer) there were some questions raised about other prospects.

Left fielder Chase Headley, the Padres' poster-boy prospect, hit .269, but he also struck out 104 times in 331 at-bats -- a 180-strikeout pace over a full season. And left-handed starter Wade LeBlanc had an 8.02 ERA and was 1-3 in five appearances.

The Padres have some pieces to build around in Gonzalez, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, Peavy and Young. But they have to address questions at three spots in the rotation, at least half the bullpen, catcher, second base, shortstop (Khalil Greene was hitting .213 with 10 homers when he was injured) and left field -- plus right field and closer if they let Brian Giles and Trevor Hoffman walk.

The Padres believe their prospects will help. But Venable is the only one who has shown the foot speed to address that major shortcoming. Even if they wanted to sign a free agent, which is not in their plans, the money might not be there ... it might not even be there to sign Giles and Hoffman.

What a mess.