“I don’t know what’s going to happen,’’ said the slugging first baseman, who won his second Gold Glove yesterday. “I’ll be overseas, and I’d rather be away.’’

Gonzalez didn’t sound like a guy who was worried about his fate when he spoke to reporters on a conference call about the Gold Glove. His agent, John Boggs, will meet next week with San Diego general manager Jed Hoyer, who has been saying at the general managers’ meetings here that he doesn’t have to deal Gonzalez - though he didn’t go as far as saying he wouldn’t, either.

Hoyer is aware of the great interest in the big first baseman, who is under contract for the next two years at $4.5 million and $5.6 million, certainly affordable even for a small-market team. Yet Hoyer also knows he could get quantity and quality in a package for Gonzalez that could quicken the rebuilding process in San Diego.

“I’ve always said I’m in a win-win situation,’’ Gonzalez said. “If I stay, I’d be in position to keep playing in this great city before these great fans. More than likely, if I’m traded, I would go to a team that had a chance to win a World Series championship next year. I think if I stay, I should also be in a position to win a world championship someday.’’

It would take Nostradamus to predict when that day will come in San Diego. And while Gonzalez is saying all the right things, the fact is he doesn’t want to waste the prime years of his career with a rebuilding team. Even when the Padres had good teams, they never won the World Series. It’s been 40 years since their inception, and nothing yet.

Asked whether he would consider an extension from the Padres, Gonzalez simply said that he would listen to anything and would be interested to see “what value they put on me.’’

If Gonzalez continues to trend upward with his offensive numbers, there’s a chance he could get into Mark Teixeira territory - and it doesn’t seem possible that the Padres could ever afford that. They could let it play out and just get two draft picks for him when he leaves as a free agent, or they could make the best possible deal for prospects.

There are varying opinions on how close the Padres are to actually being a competitive team in the National League West. Some think they have enough prospects that they could get back into the hunt in a couple of seasons, but by that time, Gonzalez will command a monster contract they couldn’t possibly afford.

Gonzalez will watch closely what the Hoyer regime does. While he acknowledged that there have been a couple of pieces put into place with the hiring of Hoyer, his big issue is “We’ll see what they do in the offseason and then I’ll be able to make more of a judgment.’’

With the $40 million payroll the Padres are heading toward, it seems unlikely they will be making any impact moves that Gonzalez will be impressed with.

For the past two seasons, he’s also had to endure the constant rumors about going to Boston or Seattle or Los Angeles, and it’s never pleasant for a player to hear that. Part of next week’s meeting with Hoyer will be to address that.

“Every time I get a phone call from my agent, I wonder if it’s regarding my situation,’’ said Gonzalez. “When I get back [from Europe], the winter meetings will be over and I’ll have a better idea about my situation.’’

Maybe.

The big decision has to come from within the Padres organization as to whether they want to deal him. He’s a hometown kid whom fans and youngsters really like.

Yet the timing of his rise as a player and the status of the Padres don’t seem to be aligned. Common sense tells you he will be traded.

“When you have a chip like that, and you know you’re not going to be able to re-sign him, you’ve got to find the right time to deal him,’’ said another NL West GM. “Do you wait another year? You could. But what if he gets hurt or he doesn’t have a good season? Then you’re not going to get optimal value.

“Right now, this offseason, is when the Padres could make the biggest impact on their future. Kevin Towers made a great deal with the White Sox for Jake Peavy. Jed is a new GM. So he’s either going to be shy about trading his superstar or he’s going to try to make his mark and put his stamp on this team.’’

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.