Machado a 1st step -- what's next for Padres?

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Manny Machado alone will not make a contender out of a 66-win team.

The star free-agent infielder signed a record-setting 10-year contract with the Padres on Thursday, and he’ll be introduced in a press conference Friday at the Peoria Sports Complex.

No question, Machado’s arrival is a critical step in San Diego's push toward yearly contention in the National League West. Perhaps, it's the most critical step. But there are other steps to be taken to close last season's 25 1/2-game gap between the Padres and the Dodgers at the top of the division.

1. Player development

This is the most important step, and it's one in which the Padres have recently excelled. They turned Franmil Reyes, an unheralded prospect from outside the team's top 30, into a middle-of-the-order bat. They turned Luis Urias, an unknown and undersized middle infielder, into an elite second-base prospect on the cusp of the big leagues.

That trend needs to continue. The Padres almost certainly won't dole out more record-setting contracts. Part of the thinking behind Machado's deal was that they could pair him with the arrivals of prospects from the best farm system in baseball. If the Friars are paying half of their lineup pre-arbitration salaries, it neutralizes the expense of the most lucrative free-agent deal in American sports history.

Fernando Tatis Jr. will arrive this season. Pitching prospects Logan Allen, Chris Paddack and Cal Quantrill are expected as well. Young hurlers MacKenzie Gore, Luis Patino and Adrian Morejon are on the horizon. If the Padres help those prospects reach their ceilings, they have the chance to be very good for a long time.

2. Fill out the rotation

How the Padres approach their rotation riddle should reveal a lot about the team's philosophy this year. San Diego starters combined to post a 5.09 ERA last season, the worst mark in the NL. The Padres have yet to add anyone who's expected to contribute in 2019.

In theory, general manager A.J. Preller could simply let the development take shape on its own. The rotation won't be very good for the early stages of the season. But Dinelson Lamet will return from Tommy John surgery this summer, and Garrett Richards could follow. Paddack and Allen could be difference-makers. With Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi in Year 2, the pieces are there for a legitimate starting five to fall into place for 2020.

Preller, however, isn't one to sit back and wait. Machado is in San Diego, and that means it's time to win. The Padres aren't going to win if their rotation performs at the level it did last season. Preller owns the best prospect pool in baseball and an incredibly young roster at the big league level. That's a lot of trade chips.

It’s possible the club could look to expedite the process by dealing a couple young players for an established starting pitcher with a few years of team control -- whether that's during Spring Training or in-season when it's closer to the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

3. Trade the right pieces

This one can't be stated strongly enough. The Padres' system is so deep that they’ll need to trade a few prospects. But the big league club isn't strong enough for any potential stars to be lost in those trades.

An example: Early last year, a number of teams inquired about Patino, an unheralded 18-year-old right-hander at the time. At the time, Patino was an unheralded 18-year-old right-hander. Rival GMs felt they could swoop for Patino before his value was properly understood. Preller wouldn't budge. Patino wasn't going anywhere. Now, he's an elite prospect, drawing comparisons to Yordano Ventura because of his 6-foot frame and an elite fastball with late life.

The Padres can't afford to lose those types of pieces. But they have a few prospects who could legitimately help other clubs, while not jeopardizing their plans all that much. Third baseman Hudson Potts and shortstop Xavier Edwards, for example, might suddenly be expendable, given that the left side of the infield appears set. Some of the pitching depth beyond the club's top-tier arms could be included in a deal.

4. Be patient

The Padres might be contenders in 2019. Their starting pitchers might make serious improvements. Their lineup might make strides with the arrivals of Urias and Tatis (and of course, Machado). And their outfield logjam could produce day-in, day-out production (and some very formidable platoon options if Franchy Cordero hits his stride).

Or San Diego might not be a contender; that's the likelier scenario in 2019. If it comes to fruition, it doesn't mean the Padres should scrap the process. Pitching reinforcements are on the way. The system is deep enough where almost any player in the big leagues could be on the table in trade talks.

A strong group of prospects should arrive in San Diego this year. A stronger group will emerge in 2020. And the strongest group might take shape in '21. With the right decisions over the coming months, the Padres could become a threat in the NL for a long time.

Their 10-year pact with a 26-year-old third baseman -- a generational talent, who’s only just entering his prime -- fits perfectly with that timeline.