PEORIA, Ariz. -- In each of the past three seasons, the Padres made many of the same preseason proclamations that they're making right now. They wanted to be competitive. The postseason was their goal. This was the year things were going to change.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- In each of the past three seasons, the Padres made many of the same preseason proclamations that they're making right now. They wanted to be competitive. The postseason was their goal. This was the year things were going to change.

But in each of the past three seasons, the Padres made decisions that proved counterproductive to those goals. In 2016, they traded seven prominent veterans in exchange for prospects. In '17, they carried three Rule 5 Draft selections on their roster for an entire season. In '18, nearly half their games were started by rookie pitchers.

In 2019, they introduced Manny Machado one day before they played their first Spring Training game. The difference is stark.

"This year,” said left fielder Wil Myers , “it actually feels real.”

What's the goal?

It's asking a lot of the Padres to go from 66 wins to the postseason, even with Machado on board. Stranger things have happened. But the Padres' trajectory probably lines up better with 2020 as the first season they make a run.

In that regard, the Padres' goal this season should be competitiveness: be in a race, play meaningful baseball into the second half of the season. Most of these players have never done that at the big league level. The experience of an 80-something win season -- even if they miss the postseason -- could prove very valuable for a young team. (Don’t tell that to Austin Hedges , though.)

"Our goal is the playoffs," said the Padres backstop. "It would be an absolute monster step forward from the past two years. And [with Machado] there's a higher likelihood of that happening now."

What's the plan?

Don't put anything past A.J. Preller. The Padres general manager will continue looking for different ways to upgrade his starting rotation -- easily the biggest weakness right now.

But as things stand, the Padres seem pretty content to let their young pitchers fight for starts. That could mean significant big league innings for top prospects Chris Paddack and Logan Allen.

Offensively, it's pretty self-explanatory. The starters in a crowded outfield will be determined mostly by matchups. The Opening Day infield, from left to right, should be Machado- Luis Urías - Ian Kinsler Eric Hosmer . And when Fernando Tatis Jr. arrives, baseball's No. 2 overall prospect will play short, with Urias and Kinsler battling for time at second.

What could go wrong?

The Padres are content with their offense, though it's important that a number of their young hitters make progress this year. Hosmer is in desperate need of a bounceback season, as well.

But the rotation is the biggest question mark. The Padres don't have a single starter they can count on for a full season of quality. Last year, the rotation combined for the highest ERA in the National League, and Preller didn't add to that group during the offseason.

In doing so, Preller put his faith in second-year lefties Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi , while hoping that Matt Strahm can make the transition from the bullpen. Prospects Allen, Paddack and Cal Quantrill could make an impact, as well. The outlook for that group is entirely unpredictable.

Who might surprise?

A rotation with question marks means a rotation with opportunity -- especially for those young pitchers. Paddack was brilliant this spring with a 2.13 ERA and a 37 percent strikeout rate in the Cactus League. Despite an innings limit this season, he forced his way into the rotation conversation.

Offensively, Tatis is garnering most of the attention among Padres prospects. But he's still a month or two from his big league debut. Urias and Francisco Mejía might break camp with the club, and they could earn somewhat regular playing time from the start.

The Padres’ youth movement is in full swing. It might start to bear fruit in 2019.

AJ Cassavell covers the Padres for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell.