SAN DIEGO -- The Padres spent the Trade Deadline turning their bullpen into one of the most fearsome in baseball.

San Diego landed left-hander Tanner Scott from Miami in a six-player trade, the club announced on Tuesday. The Padres also received right-hander Bryan Hoeing, sending four prospects to the Marlins -- a package headlined by left-hander Robby Snelling, their No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 44 overall.

TRADE DETAILS
Padres get: LHP Tanner Scott, RHP Bryan Hoeing
Marlins get: LHP Robby Snelling (Padres No. 2 prospect), RHP Adam Mazur (No. 4), INF/OF Graham Pauley (No. 5), INF Jay Beshears (No. 24)

The Padres also made two separate deals just before the Deadline, adding left-hander Martín Pérez from Pittsburgh to serve as rotation depth, while sending righty reliever Enyel De Los Santos and pitching prospect Thomas Balboni Jr. to the Yankees for Triple-A outfielder Brandon Lockridge. San Diego sent 18-year-old Dominican Summer League prospect Ronaldys Jimenez to the Pirates for Pérez.

But without question, San Diego’s biggest move of the day was the acquisition of Scott, an All-Star who has posted a 1.18 ERA in 44 appearances this year. A free-agent after the season, the 30-year-old Scott leads qualifying MLB pitchers in lowest average exit velocity against, thanks to a lethal four-seamer/slider combination.

The deal vaults the Padres toward best-bullpen-in-baseball territory. They added righty Jason Adam in a deal with Tampa Bay over the weekend -- and those two will be featured alongside All-Star closer Robert Suarez and breakout setup man Jeremiah Estrada.

The price was steep, but the Padres are committed to going for it this year. They entered Tuesday clinging to the final spot in the National League Wild Card race, but they’re coming off a 7-2 road trip to start the second half, including series wins in Cleveland and Baltimore.

In three days, San Diego has turned perhaps its biggest weakness -- the depth of the ‘pen -- into a serious strength. (The type of strength that often plays well in October, too.) Along with the four big names, the Padres also feature lefties Adrian Morejon and Yuki Matsui -- and potentially the righty Hoeing, depending on how they use him.

Of course, the cost was plenty steep. Snelling remains a tantalizing prospect, though his struggles this season indicate he’d probably fallen well below his No. 44 overall prospect ranking. Mazur and Pauley are close to being big league contributors (Mazur had recently filled in as the team’s No. 5 starter), and Beshears had begun to prove himself at High-A Fort Wayne this season.

It’s a hefty package of prospects for a return headlined by a reliever with only a few months of team control remaining. But the Padres will incorporate Hoeing into their pitching mix, though it’s unclear exactly how. Hoeing has a 2.70 ERA in 16 appearances this season -- two starts. He could serve as a starter/reliever hybrid.

With the bullpen fortified, the rotation is suddenly the biggest looming question mark for the Padres. Their rotation has been dominant of late -- but thin. There are major questions surrounding Joe Musgrove (on the IL with right elbow inflammation) and Yu Darvish (on the restricted list). Matt Waldron and Michael King have already surpassed their career highs in innings.

On that front, the addition of Pérez helps to an extent. The 13-year veteran certainly raises the floor, considering the thin nature of the rotation. He’s expected to help the team handle a grueling August stretch that will feature 27 games in 28 days. But Pérez was not acquired as a serious option for postseason starts, having posted a 5.20 ERA in 16 starts.

The Padres are banking on their rotation holding up.

Then, they’re banking on their lockdown bullpen to carry them the rest of the way.