What’s next for Padres after Juan Soto trade?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — How do the Padres follow a blockbuster like the one they completed Wednesday night in Nashville?

In some ways, their grade for the Juan Soto trade remains incomplete until they make their next moves.

“Hopefully,” said Padres general manager A.J. Preller, “it’s a deal that works both ways, and we’re seeing him in the postseason next year.”

Ambitious. But the Padres are insistent that trading Soto doesn’t preclude them from contending in 2024. Here’s a look at the ripple effects of that Soto trade, and how it affects the rest of San Diego’s offseason:

1. Yes, the Padres still need pitching

The depth in the rotation and bullpen is significantly better than it was 48 hours ago. But the Padres still haven’t replaced all of what they lost from their 2023 staff. Not by a longshot, with Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez departing via free agency.

“We’re going to keep looking at starting pitching,” Preller said. “We’re starting to get some depth and numbers. … Again, you need a lot of starting pitching to get through a season.”

Relief pitching, too, by the way. The Padres lost Josh Hader to free agency. Martinez, Luis Garcia and Scott Barlow also filled leverage roles last season and have since departed.

For all the Padres accomplished Wednesday in filling out their pitching staff, there’s still plenty of work to do.

2. Trade for a frontline starter?

Wednesday’s deal further bolstered a Padres farm system that has seen a renaissance in the past 18 months. That farm now features six of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, tied for the most in baseball.

The Padres have made it clear they’re not looking to deplete that farm — particularly at the top — like they have in the past.

But in the wake of the Soto deal, the Padres have the capital to make a move reminiscent of their 2020-21 offseason. That winter, they acquired Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. All three trades were similar, in that San Diego gave up prospect capital to take on salary and land a frontline starter.

That money’s been freed up. These Padres aren’t making three of those trades. But they might make one — especially with Musgrove and Darvish, the foundation of the current rotation, coming off injury. A reinforcement like, say, Corbin Burnes or Shane Bieber at the top would go a long way.

3. A glaring outfield need

This would’ve been true if the Padres had sent only Soto to the Yankees. Instead, they sent Soto and two-time Gold Glove Award winner Trent Grisham to New York, without receiving an outfielder in return.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has already linked the Padres to Jung Hoo Lee, and Feinsand noted that with the team having cleared Soto’s projected salary from its payroll, it could clear a path for a multiyear deal with the Korean outfielder.

The Soto trade also clears a path for one of the team’s more intriguing prospects. Jakob Marsee was MVP of the Arizona Fall League and will get a look in center…