Padres: What’s next on to-do list after Trevor Rosenthal trade?

After the Trevor Rosenthal trade, are the Padres done?

On Saturday, the Padres finally addressed their bullpen deficiencies with the addition of Trevor Rosenthal, who came over in a trade with the Royals. The 30-year-old was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, and with Kansas City in a full rebuild, it was a smart move on their part to flip him for prospects at the deadline.

Prospects being Edward Olivares and a PTBNL, in which the former had no place to garner regular playing time. Once Jorge Mateo was activated from the COVID-19 list, the writing was on the wall for the 24-year-old Olivares. That said, I wish him well in Kansas City, and with the Royals recently trading Brett Phillips, there could be opportunities for regular playing time.

The rumors are swirling that the Padres are connected to Lance Lynn, who has been one of the best starting pitchers on the market. We recently tabbed Lynn as a pitcher the Friars should pursue, which means that general manager AJ Preller reads the site.

Joking aside, Lynn is generating a ton of interest, so I wouldn’t expect anything to be imminent, as the return is likely to be costly. But it seems that the national media expects the Padres to be in on a starting pitcher as well.

There are a bunch of fourth or fifth starters that should be pursued and would be far less costly than Lynn. Garrett Richards‘ recent struggles only justify the need for another pitcher, especially with Adrian Morejon landing on the injured list on Saturday.

He was supposed to start Game 2 against the Rockies, but the IL stint will force Michel Baez into a starting role. Of course, the Padres could call up MacKenzie Gore, but that option is seemingly less likely by the day. Perhaps it’s just best for him to resume in the minors next year, assuming there is a season.

With Austin Hedges likely in his last year with the Padres, the front office could very well find a long-term replacement. We identified Pedro Severino as a potential solution, especially with Adley Rutschman reportedly close to being ready. The 27-year-old Severino is batting .318 on the year with five long balls and 20 RBI while posting a .937 OPS.

Severino has yet to throw out a runner in four attempts, but last year, he was right at league-average. The year before, he was well above average in that department. He’s also under team control through the 2023 season.

A starting pitcher would seem to make the most sense before Monday’s deadline, but don’t be surprised if AJ Preller goes all-in on upgrading all the weaknesses.