But it will be, after the future Hall of Famer was limited to a career-low 36 games last year and then flirted with free agency in the off-season.
"I feel good, but that doesn't mean anything," Gwynn said as he prepared for his 20th spring training, all with the Padres.
"I've been cautiously optimistic. You can't speculate because you just don't know until you go out there and do it."
Pitchers and catchers are due to report Thursday, with position players coming in Tuesday.
Gwynn, who turns 41 on May 9, had season-ending surgery on his troublesome left knee on June 27.
Doctors smoothed three bones, removed loose cartilage and made microfractures designed to spur new cartilage growth and provide greater cushion.
Before the surgery, Gwynn's knee couldn't take any jarring.
It was constantly swollen and painful.
He had excess fluid drained at least seven times last year.
After months of rehabilitation, he has started some baseball drills -- shagging fly balls, taking grounders, making quick cuts -- and reported no problems.
"I haven't had a day of swelling," said Gwynn, who has a career .338 average, 3,108 hits and eight NL batting titles.
"But I said the same thing last year ... I'm on pins and needles."
Gwynn signed an incentive-laden, $2 million contract on Dec. 7.
The Padres were 76-86 in 2000, a two-win improvement from 1999.
But they slid from fourth to last in the NL West.
This season the team has cut its payroll from about $54 million to $37 million, lowest in the division by almost $30 million.
"Let's be honest," third baseman Phil Nevin said. "It's going to be tough.
"We don't have the most talent."
