As he trotted across the outfield grass at Petco Park yesterday afternoon during his daily training ritual, Trevor Hoffman realized "this could be it." Not just to the season, mind you. A Padres loss tonight could end the future Hall of Famer's career as a Padre ... as well as the 2005 season. "I've given it some thought," Hoffman said after the Padres ended their workout. "It has definitely crossed my mind, but that's as far as it gets. There is a different regime. Who knows what direction they will follow? It's out of my control. "But the truth is, this might be the end of the run." Hoffman, 37, is not the only key Padre who is a free agent at the end of the World Series. And like right fielder Brian Giles and catcher Ramon Hernandez, Hoffman has had no substantial talks with the Padres this year regarding his future. "It makes you wonder where you stand," Hoffman said recently. "They could decide to build on what they have. Or they could decide to go in an entirely different direction. No one is telling us anything."