SAN DIEGO -- The timing felt scripted.

Mere moments after the Padres announced a trade sending Francy Cordero to Kansas City, Edward Olivares strode to the plate in the third inning of the team's intrasquad game Thursday night. The 24-year-old outfield prospect unloaded on a hanging slider from Drew Pomeranz, sending it into the left-field seats at Petco Park.

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The implication was clear: The Padres had an opening on their roster for a toolsy outfielder capable of playing all three positions, and -- from seemingly out of nowhere -- Olivares had snatched it from the more-heralded Cordero.

Olivares' emergence made Cordero expendable in the Padres' eyes, so Cordero was shipped to Kansas City for lefty reliever Tim Hill. Afterward, general manager A.J. Preller and manager Jayce Tingler both touted the opportunity the trade would present Olivares.

"That's been my goal for as long as I can remember," Olivares said through a team interpreter. "It's been my goal to be a big league player and to be an everyday big league player and to work and refine my game to be able to do that."

The smooth-swinging Olivares is getting closer to that goal by the day. He has drawn rave reviews from players, coaches and front-office staff alike. Once considered a long shot for a roster spot, Olivares is now a heavy favorite for a bench place, and he might see a few starts against left-handed pitching.

Perhaps it's the circumstances surrounding Olivares' ascent that makes it so surprising. The baseball world shut down for 3 1/2 months amid a global pandemic, and when it returned, the Padres played their first dozen intrasquad games behind closed doors.

To those involved behind the closed doors, Olivares' ascent was less surprising. He was excellent for Double-A Amarillo last season, arguably the MVP on a team that won the Texas League title. During Spring Training, he batted .389/.421/.722 across 11 games, then he arrived for Summer Camp and raked from the start.

Of course, it's important to temper the optimism surrounding Olivares. He has yet to play a big league game. But if his ascension continues, it will mark a major coup for Preller, who landed Olivares in a January 2018 trade with Toronto.

At the time, Yangervis Solarte was a beloved figure in the Padres' clubhouse and a useful utility piece on a team-friendly contract. But the rebuilding Padres knew that Solarte's value had probably reached a high point, so they engaged the Blue Jays in trade discussions.

The previous summer, the coaching staff at the Padres’ Class A affiliate in Fort Wayne had raved about Olivares' potential. Pro scout Dom Scavone echoed those praises. The Padres entered that winter with Olivares on their wish list, and Solarte was a reasonable asking price.

"We knew there was some refinement needed, especially with the strike zone," Padres pro scouting director Pete DeYoung said of Olivares. "But we liked the tool package, we liked the upside, and we liked the path that he had taken to put himself on the map. It was worth taking a shot."

Olivares, who had signed out of Venezuela for a bonus of only $1,000, was prepping for a workout in his home country when he got the call. As further evidence of his even-keeled demeanor, it didn't seem to faze him.

"I wasn't expecting it, but it happened, and I didn't take it badly," Olivares said. "I was just like, 'Hey, there are other teams out there, and this is another opportunity. I need to go over there and prove what I can do. Nothing really changes.' In hindsight, I think it was a good trade."

Olivares' true breakout came this past winter when he tore through the Venezuelan Winter League, batting .340/.404/.479. He rode that success to an 18-homer, 35-steal campaign at Amarillo, in which he emerged as one of the team's leaders during its title run.

The obvious next step for Olivares would be a callup to the big leagues. That call might come within the next week, and Olivares is ready for it.

"I honestly have an extraordinary amount of confidence, but it just comes from the work I've done," Olivares said. "I'm someone who believes in the process. I know that when I'm up there, that I'll have good results because of the work that I put in."